Israeli soldier who assaulted CNN cameraman reprimanded but avoids criminal charges

By Jeremy Diamond, Oren Liebermann, CNN

(CNN) — The Israeli soldier who physically assaulted a CNN photojournalist in March was formally reprimanded by his commanders for his use of force but faces no criminal charges in the matter, the Israeli military said Monday.

“The investigation found that during the encounter between the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldiers and the media crew in the area, physical force was used by one of the soldiers against a photographer from the media organization,” the military said in a statement to CNN.

The military police’s criminal investigations unit probed the assault, but military prosecutors ultimately did not pursue criminal charges, turning instead to the command’s disciplinary process.

“After the soldier expressed remorse for his actions during the disciplinary process, he received a formal command reprimand,” the IDF said. A military reprimand enters a soldier’s personnel file and negatively impacts his or her future in the IDF. The IDF declined to name the soldier, who was a reservist.

The investigation was initiated after the soldier put CNN photojournalist Cyril Theophilos in a chokehold and forced him to the ground while he was filming in the village of Tayasir in the occupied West Bank in March. Israeli settlers had just established an illegal outpost at the site.

During the incident, Israeli soldiers also pointed their rifles at the CNN crew and detained them. One soldier who spoke to CNN on camera about “revenge” against Palestinians during the incident was dismissed from the IDF at the time.

CNN was authorized to film in the area.

In the aftermath of the incident, the IDF chief of staff, Lt. Gen Eyal Zamir, took sweeping disciplinary action, suspending all operational activities of the battalion, which is the reserve component of the ultra-Orthodox “Netzah Yehuda” unit. The IDF said the assault represented a “serious ethical and professional failure.”

The battalion was once again redeployed to the West Bank 30 days later after undergoing an education seminar and additional training.

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