What happened at Israeli detention centre? Israeli far-right mobs storm IDF base in riots ‘bordering on anarchy’

The Times of Israel reported that of the far-right Knesset members taking part in the riots, Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu of Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism MK Zvi Sukkot were among those in the crowds outside Sde Teiman on Monday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog condemned the riots outside Sde Teiman base, but their words did little to prevent the storming of the second base later on Monday evening.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant strongly denounced the “intrusion of civilians into IDF bases,” saying the behaviour “seriously harms Israeli democracy and plays into the hands of our enemy during war.”

But the protesters leaped to the defense of the reservists accused of abusing a Palestinian prisoner and expressed outrage at their arrest. One defender was far-right politician and government minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who said it was “shameful” for Israel to arrest “our best heroes.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich added that “IDF soldiers deserve respect” and must not be treated as “criminals.”

The nine reservists are expected to face a military court hearing. The Times of Israel reported that a petition to the High Court of Justice by the Association of Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) has succeeded in convincing the state to close Sde Teiman over reports of abuse – including the use of physical restraints, beatings, torture, neglect and arbitrary punishments – at the facility.

The state said in May that the IDF would begin to phase out the use of Sde Teiman.

According to the Times of Israel, Palestinian officials are demanding an international investigation into the most recent incident of abuse at Sde Teiman. Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti, who sits in the Palestinian Legislative Council, said that Palestinians do not trust Israeli military courts, adding that “the attempt to prevent the investigation of Israeli prison guards and soldiers who perpetrated sexual crimes is evidence of the rise of fundamentalist Zionist fascism.”