Israel launches probe over Sde Teiman prison rape — but only to find the whistleblower

Israel’s military has announced a ‘criminal probe’ over incidents of torture and rape by guards and soldiers at the notorious Sde Teiman prison camp. The prison camp, where hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are held without charge and where torture, sexual torture and rape have been reported by the United Nations as common, with numerous abductees dying from their injuries. But the authorities are not investigating the abuse.

Instead, they are trying to find out – and charge – who leaked a video showing the gang-rape of an abductee last year, according to Israeli media.

Sde Teiman prison investigation

Israeli paper Haaretz reports that the investigation:

focuses on suspicions that the video – showing IDF soldiers allegedly abusing a detained Palestinian – was leaked by associates of the military advocate general. According to the IDF, “Involvement of elements in the Military Prosecutor’s Office is being examined.

IDF Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi has been put on forced leave “pending further clarification of details in the matter.

The Zionist regime’s response is reminiscent of the reaction of then-new Labour party leader Keir Starmer who, when a leaked report exposed extensive racism, misogyny, abuse, rigging and theft by senior Labour staff, promptly ordered an investigation, at a cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds and then later an even more expensive and ultimately abandoned court case. Into who leaked the report.

Nothing was done about the racism, misogyny, abuse, rigging and theft except to commission a report Starmer and his acolytes then ignored.

An Israeli court sentenced a single IDF soldier to seven months in prison and a demotion for his part in the torture exposed by the video. Five others were charged but have still not been convicted and their lawyers are trying to have the cases quashed.

Featured image via the Canary