Elite IDF troops held over gas station brawl with Bedouin youth
Far-right leader and attorney who represents one of 14 soldiers from the Kfir Brigade, claims the incident began when one of the young Bedouin men threatened to stab the troops; says the footage of the brawl was doctored by Bedouin employees at the gas station
The Kfir Brigade troops were to be brought before court on Wednesday where their remand was to be extended. The soldiers are accused of assault, threats and unlawful use of weapons.
The incident in the Dor Alon gas station at Dvir Junction, near the city of Be’er Sheva, was caught by security cameras and the footage was later made public by the station’s staff.
Attorney and leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has taken on the task of representing the soldiers’ squad commander, said the incident began when one of the young Bedouin men threatened to stab the soldiers.
“He (Ben-Gvir's client) behaved in the most reasonable way he could at that moment,” Ben-Gvir said in an interview with Ynet. “He ran up and engaged the man. He told me: 'Itamar, I did what I was taught.'”
The far-right leader went on to imply the footage of the incident had been doctored and doesn’t show the full picture.
"Whoever distributed them (the videos) is the one who’s in control of them,” he said. “Unfortunately, those who distributed the videos are Bedouin employees who fully support the Bedouin youth.”
Ben-Gvir said that had the soldiers been confronted by the so-called hilltop youth, people would’ve asked why the soldiers didn’t open fire at them.
