Savage child abuse by Israeli soldiers ‘well documented for many years’ says DCI

The beating of a pre-pubescent youth by soldiers is just another example of human rights abuse in the occupied territories
Seth Freedman guardian.co.uk, Wednesday July 16, 2008

Gerard Horton of Defence of Children International, an NGO which has taken up Muhammad's case, pointed to the IDF's flagrant violations of children's rights as yet another example of Israel thumbing its nose at international law. "These abuses have been well documented for many years, yet our pleas for intervention have fallen on deaf ears", he said.

...In February, Muhammad was snatched by a four-man squad of Israeli special forces while playing with friends near the security wall, a mile away from his home. He was subjected to a vicious beating by the men, who punched him repeatedly and smashed him across the face with the butt of a gun in broad daylight. "No one said a word to me during [the attack]", recalled Muhammad, whose description of the assault bore marked similarities to Rodney King's ordeal.

The difference, however, is that Muhammad is just 14 years old, yet was deemed a sufficient enough threat by the soldiers that he needed to be beaten to the point of almost losing consciousness. His crime? Allegedly throwing stones at the separation wall; something Muhammad strenuously denies.

Whereas Israeli youths are treated as children in the eyes of the law until they turn 18, Palestinians are not accorded such humane treatment, and can be imprisoned from the tender age of just 12. Since September 2000 Israel has arrested and detained almost 6000 children, with 700 under-18s arrested in 2007 alone.

Gerard Horton of DCI, an NGO which has taken up Muhammad's case, pointed to the IDF's flagrant violations of children's rights as yet another example of Israel thumbing its nose at international law. "These abuses have been well documented for many years, yet our pleas for intervention have fallen on deaf ears", he said. "The lack of will by the international community to uphold the rule of law when it comes to the Occupied Territories is deeply disturbing."

...After receiving medical treatment for his wounds, which required an overnight stay in hospital, Muhammad was transferred to another jail until his court case in front of a military judge. He was not permitted to see a lawyer until five minutes before his trial, and throughout his entire ordeal (including his four and a half month prison term) was not allowed to see any member of his family.

His parents were sick with worry, according to his mother. "There was no official contact", she said. "The only news we received were two calls from Muhammad on phones smuggled into the jail, and then an update from a released prisoner who told us when Muhammad was due to be let out of prison"...

All that they can do is to document the abuses and beg for intervention by the international community, but – as witnessed by the EU's recent upgrading of relations with Israel – their plaintive appeals appear to be in vain...

Israeli officials have flexed their political muscles before when accused of mistreatment of Palestinian detainees, including forcing Canada to remove Israel from a torture blacklist earlier this year...

"The Israelis do all of this to put pressure on us, in order to show that the army controls the Palestinians, and also to try to force us to leave – but whatever they do to us, we will remain here", [Muhammad's mother] said defiantly...

Soldiers savagely beating a pre-pubescent youth would send shockwaves throughout any civilised country, but – when it comes to the occupied territories – such an attack is treated as just another day in the office.

Full report in Guardian July 16, 2008