IDF soldiers from the Kfir Brigade allegedly assaulted seven Bedouin youths at a gas station in the Negev, Maariv, the sister publication of The Jerusalem Post reported on Monday.
Yet parents of the soldiers say that the incident, meant to happen on the night of October 16, happened in a very different way.
The original report claimed that 25 soldiers arrived at the gas station and began to shout “Death to all Arabs!” and “everywhere we go we see filthy Arabs.”
The Bedouin youths claim they have videos that they took of the incident and that when a gas station employee attempted to break up the fight the soldiers turned on him as well. They also approached a man refilling his gas tank and only when he shouted, “What are you doing? I’m a Jew like you!”, did the soldiers stop.
The Military Police is looking into the case with MK Ofer Cassif [Hadash] saying that if IDF soldiers would have done these things to Jewish citizens of the country they would be in prison.
The parents of the soldiers explained that the whole incident unfolded differently. They claim that as the soldiers entered the gas station to buy refreshment they were harassed by two Bedouin youth who said they would stab them.
Only when one Bedouin attempted to grab a soldier did they begin to defend themselves, the parents claimed. The other soldiers exited the vehicle to help their colleagues.
The parents of the soldiers claimed the youths shouted at their sons “Stinking Jews” and promised to kill them.
IDF Spokesperson unit reported that police received a complaint about a violent incident between several IDF soldiers and civilians and passed it on to Military Police which began an investigation.
“To the extent it is found IDF soldiers had not followed the IDF protocol, or the law, they will be dealt with to the utmost severity,” the statement read.