Video of soldier swarmed by Palestinian women to prevent arrest goes viral

Marcy Oster

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A video showing an Israeli soldier trying to arrest a Palestinian boy during a West Bank demonstration reportedly has gone viral.

The video shows Friday’s incident, in which an Israeli soldier catches the boy, 11, who has a broken arm and according to the military had been throwing rocks at soldiers during the demonstration near Nabi Saleh.

The soldier is then swarmed by screaming Palestinian women and girls and activists, who free the boy. The soldier, who was injured in the scrum, and a second soldier who comes to his aid, walk away without arresting the boy. Two other Palestinians were arrested for throwing rocks during the demonstration.

The IDF said that the boy was not arrested due to the women’s violence.

“The youth in the picture was seen throwing rocks, and as such a decision was made to arrest him. During the arrest, a violent provocation began which included a number of Palestinian women and children. As a result of the violent clash, a decision was made by the regional commander to cease the arrest,” the IDF said in a statement.

The video has had 2 million views on social media, according to Haaretz.

The residents of Nabi Saleh have held weekly protests for more than five years calling for the return of a spring and the land surrounding it that it says was taken over by Israeli settlers.

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