27 Jan. '09: B'Tselem calls on army to make it clear to officers and soldiers serving in the Occupied Territories that their duties include protecting Palestinians

On 15 December 2009, settlers prevented Palestinian farmers from planting olive trees on the farmers’ land in Deir Nidham, north of Ramallah. Soldiers at the scene did nothing to prevent the harm to the Palestinians. Instead, they closed the area to all civilians, Palestinians and settlers.

A B’Tselem worker documented on video a first lieutenant, who refused to identify himself, treating the Palestinians rudely and ordering them to leave. In response to her question as to whether it was his legal duty to also protect Palestinian residents, he replied that it was not, and contended that it was his job to protect only the settlers. The officer called the Israeli activists who came to the site to plant trees with the Palestinian farmers traitors and added that, in Israel, the penalty for treason is death.

The officer’s contention that it is not the army’s function to protect Palestinians blatantly contradicts international humanitarian law, Israeli High Court of Justice judgments, and the conclusion of various commissions, among them those headed by Yehudit Karp and Meir Shamgar. The army’s duty to ensure the well-being and safety of Palestinian residents of the Occupied Territories has become a binding norm, and state officials have repeatedly stated that the army acts accordingly.

B'Tselem wrote to the judge advocate general, demanding that measures be taken against the officer that reflect the severity of the matter, and that all soldiers serving in the Occupied Territories – primarily officers responsible for the manner in which soldiers carry out their functions – be informed that they have the duty to protect the well-being and safety of the Palestinians living there.

Length: 02:27 mins