Israel protects soldiers' identities after Brazilian war criminal investigation

Israel protects soldiers' identities after Brazilian war criminal investigation

The Israeli army introduced new media guidelines for its members after a Brazilian court ordered an investigation into war crimes against a soldier who had visited the country. The guidelines announced on Wednesday require that the names and faces of most soldiers - both active and reservists - are made unrecognizable.

background of the decision

This decision falls after a former Israeli soldier brazil South American country had ordered an investigation into the allegations of a pro-Palestinian NGO that the soldier was involved in war crimes in the Gaza Strip. The soldier returned to Israel on Wednesday, reported the Israeli broadcaster Kan. In an audio discussion, he said that he was accused of having killed “thousands of children”, in a 500-page document that contained a picture of him in uniform

new security protocols of the IDF

Nadav Shoshani, spokesman for the Israeli army, referred to the new measures. He explained that these were introduced to ensure that Israeli military members are protected from such incidents that are connected to "anti-Israeli activists worldwide". Soldiers in the rank of Colonel and underneath may only be filmed from behind, their faces must be unrecognizable, and only the first letter of their first name may be used, according to the Israeli defense forces (IDF).

regulations for soldiers stationed abroad

military members with foreign citizenship, both in combat and in non-combat roles, must also be made unrecognizable and may not reveal their complete names in interviews. These new protocols apply to all areas of conflict, and soldiers who are interviewed may not be associated with a certain combat operation surgery, according to the Idf.

reactions to the allegations

A former senior officer of the military prosecutor's office in Israel announced CNN last month that the number of attempts to raise charges against Israelis abroad who have served in wars. So far, however, there have been no arrests or processes. He commented that activists would now contact high -ranking officers and politicians, but also to ordinary soldiers.

personal experiences of the soldier concerned

The new rules were known shortly after a radio discussion with the soldier who had fled from Brazil. In it he described how he found out about the allegations against him for the first time. "I got up in the morning, opened my cell phone and suddenly saw eight calls - the Foreign Ministry, my brothers, my mother, consuls," he reported in the interview. He added that during the conversation with the Foreign Ministry "he started to understand that there was a situation and something unusual."

legal steps and public reactions

The case against him followed a complaint by the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) - a group that documented the activities of Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip and submitted a number of lawsuits. A Brazilian judge then ordered the police to investigate the soldiers based on the complaint from HRF in which he was accused of being involved in "demolition of civilian apartments in the Gaza Strip during a systematic destruction campaign.

The group, which is named after a five-year-old girl, , describes itself as a pro-Palestinian NGO that is committed to "break the cycle of Israeli impunity and to remember the memory of Hind Rajab and all those who have died in the Gaza genocide".