B'Tselem clip shows scuffle started after 1 activist bumped his bike into soldier, Eisner strikes the activist, 4 others.
By JPOST.COM STAFFIDF officer hitting activist with M-16 370(photo credit: YouTube Screenshot)
Human rights organization B'Tselem on Friday published new video footage depicting additional light clashes between recently suspended Lt.-Col. Shalom Eisner and demonstrators last weekend.The skirmishes started after one of the pro-Palestinian activists bumped into a soldier on the scene with his bike.In response, Eisner struck the activist and four others nearby.The altercation appeared to have begun when the activists were trying to push past the soldiers, who were preventing them from entering a restricted area.On Wednesday, IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz decided to dismiss Eisner from his post as deputy commander of the Jordan Valley Brigade, after the officer was captured on video slamming his M-16 into a Danish activist's face. The initial video only recorded Eisner striking one activist.According to Gantz's decision, Eisner will not be able to serve in a command position for two years and will not take up his planned posting in the summer as deputy commander of the Bahd 1 Officers Training School. The decision, however, allows Eisner to remain in the IDF.Gantz’s move was based on the findings from OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Nitzan Alon’s investigation into the incident, which took place on Saturday, and found “serious ethical flaws” with Eisner’s conduct.Alon and Gantz also discovered professional mistakes with the way Eisner and his troops had prepared for the bicycle demonstration that was led by Palestinian and European activists on Road 90. Eisner claimed he had been attacked by several of the demonstrators and that he hit them with his rifle to disperse the demonstration.Yaakov Katz contributed to this report.
