Israeli ministers, politicians defend soldiers accused of raping Palestinian

Israeli ministers and politicians have defended soldiers accused of raping a Palestinian after a shocking video of an alleged gang rape at the Sde Teiman detention facility surfaced this week.

Israel’s far right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, condemned the people responsible for the video surfacing, rather than the soldiers carrying out the rape.

Writing on social media platform X, he called for an "immediate criminal investigation to locate the leakers of the trending video that was intended to harm the reservists and that caused tremendous damage to Israel."

National security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also suggested that any action, including gang rape, is allowed if it is for the security of the state.

Ben-Gvir, who is also responsible for the prison service, told Israeli media that it was "shameful" for Israel to arrest "our best heroes" after soldiers were arrested on 29 July in relation to the rape case.

He later published a video message stating "IDF soldiers deserve respect" and should not be treated like criminals.

The video, which has been verified by news organisations including Al Jazeera, shows a Palestinian prisoner being taken to a wall before he is gang raped by soldiers shielding their face.

Israeli media reported the attack was so violent that the victim was not able to walk after and was transferred to a hospital.

A member of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, Hanoch Milwidsky also justified the attack in comments.

"If he is a Nukhba [Hamas member], everything is legitimate to do. Everything!"

The Israel Channel 14 also published a medical opinion by professor Alon Pikarsky which alleges the Palestinian prisoner raped himself.

According to Israeli media, the comment was made during a closed hearing at the Beit Lid military court.

The professor and physician, who has previously operated on Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife said "Since there was damage to the rectum, there is no doubt that the insertion of a foreign body caused the wound. However, there is much doubt regarding the way and mechanism of the insertion."

"The medical records made available to me (hospitalization documents, as well as a computer screenshot dated July 8, 2024, by Dr. Muhammad Melhem), which do not indicate any wounding to the anus, support self-insertion and not insertion by any external party," he continued.

The report was lambasted online, with many questioning how it would be possible as Palestinians are bound in Israeli detention facilities.

"This is what moral depravity, impunity and lack of accountability looks like," one social media user commented.

"So now the Palestinians rape themselves? Just wondering why they violently defend the right of soldiers to rape defenceless Palestinians, if the soldiers don’t even do it. Seems like a bit of an illogical over-reaction to me," another wrote.

Israeli rights group B’Tselem have received accounts of sexual abuse, starvation and assault from prisoners in 16 different locations across Israel and many Palestinian prisoners recently released by Israel have appeared traumatised, emaciated and shocked after returning home.