and would have been a good citizen under normal circumstances. But the circumstances in Yesha are not normal and never will be. Yesha may provide the settlers some meaning to their otherwise shallow lives, but it is wasting away the future of the State. And it corrupts the life of a basically good person, a staff Sergeant. So, what is more important, some religious fanatics settling Yesha instead of the Negev, or the life of a citizen that has now been corrupted?

IDF soldiers owe the state loyalty to the uniform and correct moral behavior! If the facts are as presented in this story these soldiers should be punished for their behaviors.

How does anyone treat their enemies, especially when they've blown up innocent civilians, shot rockets randomly into ones country and continue to preach and teach hate to their kids? I probably would treat my enemies worse!

And what have they ( The Palestinians) been doing to Gilad Shalit these past 1737 days.

and you wonder why SOME of our children want to become suicide bombers ...... when you insult a child in this way, I think he'll inevitably think of one thing, how to regain his dignity, especially he knows well that his father and mother are unable to protect his childhood from occupation forces. shame on you.

you really see all of that all the way from California....utterly amazing!

You people(and ynet) disgust me. Always trying to make the soldiers look bad. These youngsters risk their lives every day so that we all can live here peacefully yet people always have what to say against them. Kol ha kavod lzahal!

The punishment for soldiers who are caught with these disgraceful photos and videos or that are found in any way to have committed these acts against any civilians should be swift and decisive. The measures taken against these personnel should be enough to discourage any like behavior from future soldiers. It isn't about a PR problem, it's about an attitude problem that persists in the Israeli psyche and it should be stopped regardless of whether or not it causes international incident.

Tell us your thoughts about Jeremy Morlock, Andrew Holmes and Adam Winfield.

israelies too suffer humiliation, stabbing, bombing, and kidnapping from palestinians. how come no israely has ever thought of becoming a suicide bomber? any explanation? stop looking for excuses to terror.

No, Salma, shame on you. It's time you stop insulting our intelligence with your ridiculous rationale for the murderous behavior of young Palestinian suicide bombers. Because if what you say is true, then how do you account for the fact that Jewish kids living in Nazi Germany or black kids living under the apartheid regime in South Africa, never became suicide bombers?

and the problems of the Middle East didn't begin when Jews reclaim the land they were ethnically cleansed from by Arabs in 1948 when they built a settlement there. Speaking of shallow lives, is acting as an armchair general based on flawed information giving YOU meaning?

Israeli can get in to a F-16 and drop a 1 ton bomb on a building in Gaza That's why!

If, IF the charges as alleged are substantiated and the untampered with evidence indicates that the soldier in fact did what he is alleged to have done, he will be guilty not only of the acts usually worthy of "enemy others", but he will have created untold personal danger and damage to the IDF at large and to Israel as a nation. Billions of shekels in shat upon good will by decent soldiers (Japan as an example) at large in everyday life will be at needless greater risk. Exposure and identification along with a fast ten years at hard labor would appear to be appropriate as personal compensation for the damage done.

HAHAHAHAHAH - this I love. Really? Did you miss the many incidents where parents SENT their kids out with rocks to confront the IDF? That's not protection, that's called "child endangerment" and is punishable in more cultured States. How about when Fatah, Hamas, etc. use kids to smuggle pipe bombs, bullets, and as human shields? Or pull them from school to meet IDF soldiers when they arrive in town to arrest a Fatah member? I haven't yet seen a Facebook page or flash mob to denounce your terrorist rulers for that. You want to protect your kids? Do 2 things: 1) teach them to make peace, not that Jews are dogs that need to be exterminated, and 2) if you're going to fight, leave the kids at home and meet on the field of battle - soldier to "soldier".

Since you were a soldier, you would know. The big focus in the coerced dancing of kids to an Israeli song, but the saving of two babies by IDF soldiers during birth is somehow an anomaly. Is that what you're saying, Rami?

JB - this article has nothing to do with the bravery of the men and women serving the IDF. That is not the argument. It has EVERYthing to do with the behaviour of the individual in question and the potential for such behaviour from the soldier.

I wonder if the IDF has a template it uses when responding to these heinous acts. Honestly, does anyone outside Israel believe their verbal diarrhea anymore? These are the brave boys defending Israel from terrorism? Looks like their bored to tears, and have a developed a taste for abusing Palestinian kids. stay tuned next week when Israeli soldiers redefine the word 'putrid'

This is more widespread than you think, it's called MILITARY OCCUPATION how do i know? because i (Palestinians) am/are at the receiving end of this Jewish love, i live in Hebron. To those solders that saved babies during birth i say: Thank you for your humanity and kindness, may God bless you.

Without being able to live on land that belongs to Israel, including Yesha and all the Jewish setlements that Israel should own, there is no future for Israel.Every argument you and your likes bring here, that is propagating Israel to withdraw from land rightfully owned and fought for and where our ancestors walked and dwelled, will never bring peace.Jst review some history, ok? And if now it is the WB, that is the sore in their eyes, look back to at least 40years of appeasements, withdrawals and sacrifices,Israel made thru history...And STOP calling the Israeli Jewish patriots settlers..Tey are the most loyal and patriotic Israeli citizens...they are the real Guardians of Zion..That is exactly why the palis hate them so much...What do you think they would do with the land in Hebron?You can bet it would turn into a terror ground with a much closer range to get us innihilated...Where did you get the notion, that they are seeking or would be willing to make peace with us or recognize us...They invented themselves and its time to recognize this little fact..Just read some authentic history of the ME and Israel...

No matter what, these actions by an IDF soldier are not good and certainly not the norm. Yes there are situtations that can cause someone to do something wrong, but we need self control and maturity. The IDF is above that, and a situation such as this is not the norm. It should not go unpunished, and that is the difference between the IDF and others. We take the responsibility and answer to morality or the few cases of lack of morality. This makes me proud to have served in combat IDF...

Marines have been murdering them for no reason in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan and now Libya in hundreds of such incidents in the last 10 years.

Am i to understand that singing and acting out Israeli children's songs, and a soldier calling a boy over to ask if the gas canister is heavy are humiliations??? You mean singing an Israeli song is humiliating because it's like not the ones taught by the Palestinian Education System..e.g. "Song of the Shahid" ?? There's definitely something wrong here..and somehow I don't think it's this soldier.

If this story is correct, the soldiers may have behaved inappropriatedly. However, it certainly doesn't justify the orgy of guilt, shame and breast beating Israeli leftists want us to engage in. I'm afraid I'm far too fed up with our enemies' constant murder of, and incitement to mass murder, Jews to get worked up over slightly inappropriate behavior by a few I.D.F. soldiers.

Jeff, so you are an ex-marine. I imagine that you are ex, due to a dishonorable discharge. I served proudly in an IDF combat unit and we had marines join us on some of our training and each and every one of them were so supportive of Israel. I have friends in the Marine Corp and they too are very supportive and respectful of the IDF and Israel. I believe that you either never served in the Corp, or were dishonorably discharged or most likely, just another anti-Semitic wanna-be. So I will suggest to you that you get a real education, and get some friends and maybe you will change…

Not that I am justifying this, but as an ex-marine in the US army, I think you guys have a lot more to be ashamed of and account for. At least we expose it, and punish the offenders. What did the US soldiers do in Viet Nam to civilians? And the US wasn't even fighting for its existence. Please don't give us your double standards.

when these videos, facebooks, photos, etc, show up so regularly, think how much of this degradation and abuse is going on. This is supposed to be "the most moral army in the world," right? It is a disgrace to Eretz Yisrael and to G-d.