It’s hard to know what to make of this. Nerve-grinding hard. The accompanying text of the International Solidarity Movement video says:
Published on Oct 30, 2013
Israeli soldiers hid in an alleyway outside a school and fired stun grenades directly at school children, before grabbing two young boys and marching them towards a nearby police station.
That’s all I know about his video other than its title, Two young children detained in Hebron. The sound of a weeping moaning child.
The international repeatedly says “He’s eleven years old, he’s too young to be arrested…. He’s under 12 years old, he’s too young to be arrested. ”
One boy calls out to the international giving his name. The book bag of the other child hanging low down his back. The soldiers’ tight grips and brisk pace. The boy’s moans become more desperate.
At 1:46 in the video one of the soldiers turns his head and looks into the camera. His lips part, a sly grin washes over his face. The soldier is barely out of boyhood too. I think about him. And about sadism.
I wonder if the children are back home tonight. I wonder if they were coerced into signing something. I wonder if they were taunted, tortured or sexually humiliated like so many Palestinian children in the past over these long decades of military occupation. Or are the children still in a cell? Dragged out for questioning when the shifts change.
When the soldiers sleep, is their conscience haunted? Does one think about the control and domination of young boys.
The blue door slams, it’s the same shade of blue as Israel’s flag. I don’t wear that color anymore.
As a child’s mother frets, excruciatingly so. A father once again powerless, in humiliation. A brother or sister vows revenge, the cycle continues. Break the silence, break the chain, end the occupation. Resistance is alive and thrives in Palestine.
(Hat tip Refaat Alareer)
In the Hebron context, these ‘soldiers’ are nothing but mob enforcers.
Sheer evil.
Terrorizing children.
Quite unnerving. But this is even more disgusting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vybm9v8Ers
Annie, This is a story with potent humanitarian appeal. If the International Solidarity Movement or anyone else has more information on the location, date and identities of any concerned, can the video and details not be forwarded to UNICEF in Geneva and their response made public whatever it is? Even if they can’t do anything because Israel doesn’t deal with them, that itself is worth inches. Unfortunate to have to look at it that way but this has much more potential to ignite a viral response than the mistreatment of more adult victims.
Curiously, we are again only provided part of the event. No footage of what the kids were doing before the soldiers took them. I suppose if they were throwing rocks or otherwise trying to incite or harm the soldiers, they should be left alone? The kids weren’t handcuffed and in all likelihood, were simply questioned and released to their parents (who probably encouraged them to engage in their mischief)… Don’t hold your breath waiting for anyone from ISM to tell us the full story.
What is the context?
While it is possible that the Israelis are doing random arrests – those have been reported – I doubt this is the case.
Are these boys accused of throwing rocks?
Again, I am not saying the method of arrest is nice; but there is NO context to this story.
The Israelis can be purposefully heavy-handed; but were the kids innocent?
BTW: twelve year old kids are arrested all the time over the world.