https://arab.news/4qg9b
The latest revelations of torture and sexual assault committed by Israeli soldiers against a Palestinian detainee at the infamous Sde Teiman prison have once again torn the veil off a system that thrives on brutality and impunity. The disturbing fact is not only that such acts occurred but that the perpetrators, appearing at a press conference in masks, publicly defended their actions and demanded gratitude for their “service.” Their confidence reflects something far deeper and more alarming — a culture of institutionalized violence that is tolerated, even celebrated, within Israel’s military and political establishment.
This incident, coupled with international media reports exposing the existence of an underground prison known as Rakefet, where Palestinians are held in inhumane conditions without sunlight, communication or legal rights, lays bare the scale of Israel’s defiance of international law. These are not isolated cases of misconduct by rogue soldiers, they are the symptoms of a systemic policy that normalizes abuse and dehumanization as tools of control.
Under the Geneva Conventions, particularly the Fourth Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, torture, arbitrary detention and collective punishment are categorically prohibited. But Israel’s treatment of Palestinian detainees has consistently violated these principles. The reopening of Rakefet prison — closed decades ago for its “inhumane conditions” — by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir after the events of Oct. 7, 2023, is a stark example. His declaration that “this is the natural place for terrorists, underground” reveals a mentality rooted in vengeance, not justice.
