Alleged rape of Palestinian prisoner reveals stark divisions in Israel

Ultra-right-wing Israeli nationalists stormed two military facilities late Monday, protesting the detention and questioning of nine Israel Defense Forces reservists suspected of raping and abusing a Palestinian prisoner whose injuries were so bad he had to be hospitalized. Social media videos show guards at the Sde Teiman military base and prison, near Beersheba in southern Israel, shouting at and pushing military police who'd arrived to question the reservists, seemingly in defense of the suspects.

The Sde Teiman facility is known to hold Palestinians arrested in Gaza since Israel launched its war on the territory's Hamas rulers , in response to the group's gruesome Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

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The soldiers suspected of the abuse have been held for questioning, which is rare in Israel during an ongoing conflict, and it has drawn a furious reaction from far-right Israelis, including some senior government officials. On Monday evening, a group of Israelis attempted to storm another military facility, with one protester threatening an uprising against the government if the suspects remain in custody.

The nine Israeli soldiers suspected of the abuse were to appear before a military court Tuesday. Israelis have been rattled by the events, which have highlighted the deep political divisions in the country.

A member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, speaking Monday at a meeting of lawmakers, justified the rape and abuse of Palestinian prisoners, shouting angrily at colleagues questioning the alleged behavior that anything was legitimate to do to "terrorists" in custody.

Lawmaker Hanoch Milwidsky was asked as he defended the alleged abuse whether it was legitimate, "to insert a stick into a person's rectum?"

"Yes!" he shouted in reply to his fellow parliamentarian. "If he is a Nukhba [Hamas militant], everything is legitimate to do! Everything!"

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who's drawn U.S. reprimands with his provocative actions since the war started, wrote in a post on social media: "Take your hands off the reservists."

Other senior Israeli officials, however, including Netanyahu and army commander Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi, condemned the attack on the army base by the far-right protesters.

"Breaking into a military base and disturbing the order there is severe behavior that is not acceptable in any way," Halevi said in a statement, adding: "We are in the midst of a war and actions of this type endanger the security of the state."

Netanyahu called for calm, adding his own strong condemnation of the protesters for attempting to break into the IDF base, while Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that "even in difficult times, the law applies to anyone — nobody may trespass into IDF bases or violate the laws of the state of Israel."

United Nations agencies and human rights organizations, along with officials in Hamas-run Gaza and former prisoners interviewed by international news agencies, have all alleged abuse of Palestinians in Israeli detention facilities.

Israel's military insists that its detention centers are run in accordance with international law.