Bedouin IDF soldier fights security guard at bus station
Security guards were suspicious when an IDF soldier of Bedouin ethnicity refused to put his bag through the metal detector.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFBedouin soldiers in the IDF(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S OFFICE)
Blood stained the floor of the Beersheba bus station Sunday after a confrontation between an IDF soldier of Bedouin heritage and a security guard.The soldier refused to identify himself and pass his personal belongings through the metal detector, a standard procedure at all bus stations throughout Israel. After a struggle ensued, a security guard hit the soldier on the head with the butt of his weapon, causing bleeding. Both the soldier and the security guards involved were taken for questioning by police.Israel Railways, which manages the bus depot, released a press statement in response to the incident. "In the course of a routine check of a passenger at the Beersheba Central Bus Station, a man refused to obey security check procedures and tried to force his way through the entrance by force. After exhausting all other options, security guards physically prevented the passenger from entering without checking his bags. We seek the understanding and cooperation of all passengers in the security screening process which is intended to protect the safety of the passengers," Israel Railways published in a statement.A spokesperson for the Magen David Adom emergency medical service said they received a call about the incident, Ynet news reported, but no injured parties were at the scene when they arrived. No official complaint has been filed with police.Bedouin Israelis practice the Islamic faith and speak Arabic, but unlike the vast majority of Arab Israelis, often serve in the IDF, particularly as trackers.In 2014 Hamas terrorists from Gaza wore IDF uniforms in a sneak attack on Israeli soldiers.In 2015 one Israeli was killed and several injured when a terrorist opened fire at the bus station.In 2015, an IDF soldier of Jewish-Ethiopian descent was beaten by a police officer when he refused to comply with the officer's orders not to walk down an cordoned off street. The incident sparkled outrage and allegations of prejudice.
