Israeli soldiers make sexual threats to Palestinian women in videos from occupation

In January, the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem charged Israel with maintaining an “apartheid… regime of “Jewish supremacy” from the river to the sea.

Now the organization has released two videos from the occupied territories that document this reality in chilling ways– as they show Israeli occupiers, some in uniform, abusing Palestinians in sexually degrading terms during the recent Gaza war. Published July 12, the videos capture the racist, homophobic, and misogynist abuse of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers and Jewish settlers.

Both videos were shot by Palestinians in occupied Hebron on May 13, during the Muslim holiday of ‘Eid al-Fitr. (And B’Tselem issued a press release about the dehumanizing language.)

Here are excerpts of some of that abuse. Warning, the language is highly offensive.

In the first video, Israeli soldiers raid a home in the Palestinian neighborhood of Al-Harika in Hebron. The soldiers break windows and threaten residents as they look for a young stone thrower. The soldiers ignore settlers who throw stones at Palestinians.

The soldiers abuse a Palestinian woman who bravely holds a camera, documenting the raid for B’Tselem, and threaten to break her camera:

Palestinian woman: I didn’t see anyone throw a rock.

Soldier: Because you are very fat. And ugly.

Palestinian: I do my job, I work for B’Tselem.

Soldier: One more time, I break your camera. Alright? You understand me?

Palestinian: I’ll take another camera. It’s not a problem. I have many cameras.

Soldier: Mother, why is your son throwing stones at the soldiers?

As the soldiers leave the house, one blows a kiss to her, a second says, “Happy holiday,” and a third sings, “Hey, sexy lady!”

Screenshot of B'Tselem video of Israeli raid on Palestinian home in Hebron, May 13, 2021.
Screenshot of B’Tselem video of Israeli raid on Palestinian home in occupied Hebron, May 13, 2021.
Screenshot of B'Tselem video of Israeli raid on Palestinian home in Hebron, May 13, 2021.
Screenshot of B’Tselem video of Israeli raid on Palestinian home in Hebron, May 13, 2021.

The second video records events that night in the same neighborhood. Israeli settlers from the illegal colony of Kiryat Arba, built on the eastern side of Hebron, shout racist abuse and sexual threats at Palestinians from a fence, as Israeli soldiers raid the Al-Harika neighborhood.

Settler: Come on, you snitches, you whores.

Settler: I’ll fuck up this entire village. What do you call this fucking family? All by myself, you asshole. Listen, you dog. Listen up, you pig. I’m fucking you, you dog. I’m fucking your mother and your sister.

Settler: Death to Arabs.

Settler: You dog, you dog. Muhammad’s a pig.

Settler: Muhammad’s a son of a bitch.

Settler: Come, come, I’ll fuck you.

Settler: Muhammad’s dead, you asshole.

Settler [hearing boy’s voice]: You’re hiding behind kids, you faggot. I’ll fuck you. You tranny, you coward.

Settler: Come on, I’ll fuck you, you faggot.

Settler: Come on, I’ll open up your ass.

Settler: Gaza’s on fire, you coward, you faggot.

The same video captures an encounter that day outside a Palestinian home, this time with an Israeli soldier hurling abuse.

Soldier: I spit on Palestine. Fuck your mother.

Soldier: I don’t give a fuck. I’m the Israeli army.

Soldier: Throw it, you faggot.

Soldier: Palestine, you assholes.

Soldier: Go get your mother, you faggot. Come on, bring her here, I’ll fuck her. Come on.

Of course these encounters with occupying forces are often deadly. Here is a new report from 972, also based on a B’Tselem video, about Israeli soldiers coordinating attacks on Palestinian villages in the northern West Bank with masked Jewish settlers, including a half-clad sniper.

The attacks took place on May 14, a day on which four Palestinian villagers were killed in what appear to be “pricetag” attacks– retribution against Palestinians for protests against Israeli actions.

So where are the Palestinian voices in mainstream media?

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