Soldier detained in anti-fence protest
Hundreds of left-wing activists, both Israeli, Palestinian, and foreign nationals, demonstrated in the Modiin area and the West bank village of Qalqilia. A dozen people were arrested in the disturbance, including a soldier wearing some of her IDF uniform.
A female soldier was arrested Friday while wearing part of her IDF uniform at a left-wing demonstration, along with 11 left-wing activists. The group, which contained three foreigners, were transferred to Binyamin police custody, and the soldier will be handed over to the military criminal investigation unit.
It was initally thought that the soldier was due to take up the position of secretary to the IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz, but this was later proven not to be the case.
Police said that hundreds of left-wing activists, joined by Palestinians, demonstrated in the Modiin area and in the village of Azon, which is near the West Bank city of Qalqilya.
In the course of the demonstration, some protesters ran towards the site where the security fence is being built, violating a decree that declared the area a closed military zone. The protesters threw stones towards security forces in the area, who responded by dispersing the rioters.
The father of the soldier told Ynet that his daughter “was supposed to present herself to the army on Sunday and to begin service as a secretary to one of the officers. There is no truth to the claims that she was meant to be secretary to chief of staff Halutz. She was only arrested because she tried to enter a closed military zone.”
Anarchists Against the Fence
The soldier arrived to the protest with another soldier who had refused orders, Roni Barkan, who told Ynet that “she was arrested as soon as she entered the area, she only tried to talk to the soldiers.”
Barkan claims that the soldier did not arrive in order to protest, but to see for herself what security forces were doing in the area. “Last week, she came to the same site, and tried to make contact with the soldiers. She spoke with representatives of the IDF Spokesman Unit, but she wasn’t arrested.”
An activist in the Anarchists Against the Fence organization, Layzer Peles, told Ynet that “confrontations began after the protesters wanted to get close to the area where the fence is supposed to pass through. For no reason, or because of provocation by the protesters, the police began to rain down stun grenades and tear gas, and began hitting the protesters. One of those arrested needed medical treatment and was taken to hospital,” said Peles.
The activists say that this is the third time that a soldier has taken part in demonstrations against the fence.
Meanwhile, two IDF officers were lightly wounded by stones thrown during a disturbance near the village of Azon in the West Bank. Around 200 left-wing activists, foreign nationals, and Palestinians demonstrated, and police say the protesters burnt 20 olive trees belonging to Palestinians.
The Anarchists Against the Fence group takes part in many of the anti-fence protests. One of the organization’s more prominent members, Yonatan Polek, told Ynet recently that “security forces don’t give even 5 minutes of mercy for protesters to demonstrate, and immediately begin dispersing them.”
Ali Waked contributed to this report
