Israeli soldiers risk prosecution abroad from global Gaza outrage
The Hind Rajab Foundation filed complaints against Israelis travelling in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Argentina, Sweden and Spain
It’s a hallowed Israeli tradition: after completing military service, backpack through South America or hitchhike across Asia. But global outrage at the Gaza war, threats of arrest and the ubiquity of social media are causing some soldiers and reservists to reconsider their plans.
“It’s scary that my friends may have uploaded a photo with me, or sent it to someone who then uploaded it, and suddenly on the border of some country, they can accuse me of a crime against humanity, which I didn’t do,” said Asher, 34, a combat reservist who asked that his family name not be published out of fear of being targeted.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over the conduct of the war. Now though, rank-and-file troops are facing the possibility of arrest because of photos and videos posted from the field.
This has led to new military regulations barring their pictures from appearing in the media and advice to reservists and soldiers to scrub their accounts.
Lawyer Shlomit Metz-Poolat said she does not want her daughter, a reservist, to travel anywhere besides the US. While she didn’t serve in Gaza or Lebanon, her photo in uniform was used in a calendar distributed by Canadian supporters of Israel.
“The fear is that by using AI or facial recognition she could be identified,” said Metz-Poolat. “They are clearly trolling and trying to find our children. It’s very nerve-racking.” Her daughter has cancelled plans to travel in South America this summer.
