Israel´s power elite was quick to condemn Lt. Col. Shalom Eisner for
striking a Danish protester with his rifle during a heated
demonstration.
"Such behavior has no place in the Israeli defense forces or in the
state of Israel," Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said.
President Shimon Peres has expressed his "shock" at the incident.
Sources close to the government say Israel´s leaders are anxious to
avoid an "international incident."
However, the Danish foreign ministry has thus far only
expressed "concern" and asked for "clarification" of the incident.
This video from Coppenhagen shows how the Danes themselves deal with
peaceful protesters – by employing clubs and pepper spray.
Lieutenant Colonel Shalom Eisner was suspended after a video emerged
showing him striking Andreas Ias in the face with an M16 rifle as he
tried to end a tense demonstration.
The incident happened on Saturday when a group of foreign and Arab
cyclists sought to block a main road near Jericho to protest Israel´s
presence in Judea and Samaria.
Critics of Eisner´s suspension were quick to note the video of the
incident uploaded to the internet was clearly edited in such a way as
to cast Eisner in the worst possible light.
The altercation came at the end of nearly two hours of heated
confrontation between protesters and soldiers, and the video began
with Eisner striking Ias.
Eisner subsequently told military investigators that two of his
fingers had been broken in an attack by the Danish campaigner before
he retaliated with his weapon.
