| Submit your comments on this article |
| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israeli soldier jailed, relieved of duties |
| 2008-09-15 |
| Israel's military on Sunday sentenced a soldier to 14 days in jail for stopping a Palestinian woman in labor from passing through a checkpoint, where she eventually gave birth to a stillborn baby. The soldier, a squad commander, had been in charge at the army's Huwwara checkpoint in the occupied West Bank, and prevented the woman and her husband from crossing in their car to the Palestinian city of Nablus on Sept. 4. In its statement, the military said the woman was in labor on reaching the checkpoint but the couple did not have an entry permit for the vehicle. Army regulations say exceptions should be made in urgent, humanitarian cases. "The incident is one that could have been prevented," a military statement said. The woman's husband called an ambulance, which arrived about 30 minutes later, and she gave birth to a premature, stillborn baby while still at the checkpoint. In addition to the 14-day term in military prison, the soldier was relieved of his command duties, the statement said. Human rights groups have long complained the army rarely prosecutes soldiers who abuse Palestinians and metes out lenient sentences when it does so. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 Human rights groups have long complained the army rarely prosecutes soldiers who abuse Palestinians and metes out lenient sentences when it does so. And what do these same HR groups say when innocent Israelis are blown to bits or run over by a bulldozer? As a father of two, and a husband of 24+ years I am not without sympathy for the three Palestinians involved. OTOH, when 99% of one people is trying to destroy another people, you can hardly blame the soldier for being suspicious. |
| Posted by: DLR 2008-09-15 16:18 |
| #2 Playing devil's advocate here..... apparently pregnant moslem woman. "Hurry, hurry must let us through immediately. No you can't make sure she's really pregnant, she can't be seen or touched by the infidel." Not the case in this instance, but it would have to have been one of the things going thru the soldier's mind.... |
| Posted by: Mad Eye Flunter4634 2008-09-15 15:33 |
| #1 Would the end result been any different? Not wanting to sound callous, but the report sounds like the baby was already dead and medical help would not have changed the outcome. Still, it does sound like the soldier blew it. |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2008-09-15 14:06 |