Nov 25, 1:03 PM (ET)
By GAVIN RABINOWITZ
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli troops forced a Palestinian man to play his violin in order to pass through a roadblock near the West Bank city of Nablus, human rights activists said Thursday.
An officer made the Palestinian man take out his violin and play for about two minutes as hundreds of other Palestinians waited behind him for their turn to pass, said Horit Herman-Peled, a volunteer for the Israeli rights group Machsom Watch, which monitors soldiers' conduct at the roadblocks.
The army said the soldiers made him open the case and play the instrument to show there were no explosives hidden inside, but noted the incident was "insensitively dealt with by the soldiers at the roadblock who are faced with a difficult and dangerous reality."
It said an investigation was conducted, and that the soldiers had been reprimanded.
The incident occurred Nov. 9 at Beit Iba, a large and often crowded roadblock north of Nablus, and was captured on film by Herman-Peled.
Video images show the man standing and playing his violin behind a concrete barrier as a soldier inspects his documents.
"It was a crowded day, there was lots of pressure," said Herman-Peled. "I was standing, trying to monitor, suddenly I saw a Palestinian playing his violin."
Herman-Peled said the officer and the soldiers laughed as the Palestinian played the violin. "He just wanted to get through the roadblock and satisfy the soldiers. So he played," she said.
During the past four years of fighting, the army has set up dozens of checkpoints throughout the West Bank, saying they are needed to prevent Palestinian militants from reaching Israeli targets.
The roadblocks have created constant friction between harried young army recruits and large crowds of frustrated and angry Palestinians, who are often held up for hours. The Palestinians say the roadblocks are a form of collective punishment, meant to crush their spirits.
The army has made efforts in recent months to improve the situations at roadblocks, staffing them with specially trained soldiers and installing facilities for the Palestinians. The army said its training emphasizes the need to "carry out their important mission ... with compassion and thought."
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20041125/D86J1T6O0.html
By GAVIN RABINOWITZ
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli troops forced a Palestinian man to play his violin in order to pass through a roadblock near the West Bank city of Nablus, human rights activists said Thursday.
An officer made the Palestinian man take out his violin and play for about two minutes as hundreds of other Palestinians waited behind him for their turn to pass, said Horit Herman-Peled, a volunteer for the Israeli rights group Machsom Watch, which monitors soldiers' conduct at the roadblocks.
The army said the soldiers made him open the case and play the instrument to show there were no explosives hidden inside, but noted the incident was "insensitively dealt with by the soldiers at the roadblock who are faced with a difficult and dangerous reality."
It said an investigation was conducted, and that the soldiers had been reprimanded.
The incident occurred Nov. 9 at Beit Iba, a large and often crowded roadblock north of Nablus, and was captured on film by Herman-Peled.
Video images show the man standing and playing his violin behind a concrete barrier as a soldier inspects his documents.
"It was a crowded day, there was lots of pressure," said Herman-Peled. "I was standing, trying to monitor, suddenly I saw a Palestinian playing his violin."
Herman-Peled said the officer and the soldiers laughed as the Palestinian played the violin. "He just wanted to get through the roadblock and satisfy the soldiers. So he played," she said.
During the past four years of fighting, the army has set up dozens of checkpoints throughout the West Bank, saying they are needed to prevent Palestinian militants from reaching Israeli targets.
The roadblocks have created constant friction between harried young army recruits and large crowds of frustrated and angry Palestinians, who are often held up for hours. The Palestinians say the roadblocks are a form of collective punishment, meant to crush their spirits.
The army has made efforts in recent months to improve the situations at roadblocks, staffing them with specially trained soldiers and installing facilities for the Palestinians. The army said its training emphasizes the need to "carry out their important mission ... with compassion and thought."
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20041125/D86J1T6O0.html
