London: Without the video, all Andreas Ias would have to show for his weekend bicycle ride in the Jordan Valley would be two stitches and a slightly swollen lower lip, plus a hardening anger about the treatment by Israeli soldiers of Palestinians.
But a few seconds of footage uploaded to YouTube catapulted the 20-year-old Danish activist into the media spotlight, drew statements from the Israeli prime minister, president and chief of staff, led to the disciplining of an Israeli army officer, and prompted debate over the use of video cameras as a weapon of modern warfare.
Nevertheless, Ias — not his real name — is dismayed that in the aftermath of him being struck in the face with a soldier's rifle, so little attention has focused on what he describes as the routine aggression, harassment and displacement suffered by Palestinian villagers in the area.
"It has been framed in the media as the ‘Danish incident', as though this is not how the Israel Defence Forces normally act," he said in a Ramallah cafe. "But what happened to me is nothing compared to the systematic violence carried out on Palestinians. This is not a single incident, it's what we see every day. But it's very difficult to move the focus from me to the issues of the Palestinian struggle in the West Bank."
Ethnic cleansing
While volunteering for the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in the West Bank over the past six weeks, Ias says he has witnessed "a process of ethnic cleansing that has been going on since the start of the occupation". "I've seen people whose homes have been demolished in the middle of the night by dozens of soldiers, people who are left with nothing. I've seen Bedouin villages without running water or electricity next to Israeli colonies with total control over water resources. I've seen people denied their basic human rights and any hope for the future. You can't experience that without it changing you."
On April 14, a group of 150-200 Palestinians and international activists set off on a bicycle ride through the Jordan Valley to visit villages in an act of solidarity. As they reached route 90, the main road running north to south through the valley, they found their way blocked by the IDF.
Peaceful protests
According to Ias, the soldiers said the cyclists could not proceed "for security reasons". There was a stand-off. "We were very peaceful, singing songs, clapping hands. It was a good, empowering experience, people were happy," he said.
But as one of the organisers moved forward, Lieutenant Colonel Shalom Eisner, the deputy commander of the Jordan Valley Brigade who was in charge of the operation, removed his rifle. "He obviously wanted us to move back, but he didn't say anything."
According to Ias' account, a Dutch activist was pushed to the ground and a Palestinian man was struck from behind. Then Eisner slammed the base of his rifle into Ias' face. "I fell to the ground. I was surprised and disoriented. I didn't feel any pain until later."
After finishing high school in Aarhus, the young Dane worked in factories and hotels to save money for his trip to the West Bank. He arrived in mid-February, and will leave in three weeks when his tourist visa expires. He attended a two-day workshop in Ramallah to learn about his legal rights as an international activist, non-violent protest and Palestinian culture. He did not plan to spend any time in Israel.
He said the international community had a duty to intervene when wrong was being done. "The colour of my skin and my nationality gives me great privileges. We have to use that to stand in solidarity with the Palestinians."
Officer's response: 'The clip was edited'
Lieutenant Colonel Shalom Eisner, the deputy commander of the Jordan Valley Brigade who was in charge of the operation, and his colleagues claimed that the clip uploaded to YouTube was edited to distort the incident and cut out violence by the activists.
On Wednesday, Eisner was dismissed from his post for two years although he has been allowed to remain in the army.
Ias is taking legal advice on the possibility of a civil suit against the officer.
— Guardian News and Media Ltd
