Israel officer reassigned after attack on activist

Israel officer reassigned after attack on activist

JERUSALEM - The Associated Press
Israel officer reassigned after attack on activist

According to footage a protester posted on YouTube, Eisner is seen suddenly smashing his M-16 rifle into the face of a blond demonstrator in an apparently unprovoked attack.

A senior Israeli officer who smashed a pro-Palestinian activist in the face with his rifle has been removed from his post and banned from command positions for the next two years.

The army said Wednesday that Lt. Col. Shalom Eisner has been dismissed as a deputy division commander and will not be eligible to take up a scheduled position at the military's officers school.

Eisner's removal from his post came shortly after a video was posted on the Internet over the weekend, pending the outcome of an investigation. He was not sacked from the military.

Eisner says the Danish activist had previously broken two of his fingers.

The activist, who has refused to be identified publicly, says the event was "completely nonviolent."


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