Ex-IDF Officer Calls for Prosecution of Photographers Documenting Soldiers

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Meir Indor, from the Almagor Terror Victims Association, is urging Israeli authorities to legally pursue photographers who document soldiers in the West Bank against their wishes. Indor argues that such actions pose a significant field security risk and infringe upon the individual rights of the soldiers.

He claims that both foreign and Israeli photographers, allegedly working for the Palestinian Authority or hostile foreign entities, have been actively documenting soldiers at checkpoints and defensive positions in the West Bank. Indor noted that some of these soldiers belong to intelligence units and are deployed during periods of heightened tension.

Almagor asserts that this photographic activity requires attention due to both security considerations and the rights of the photographed soldiers and police officers. The organization also claims that some of this documentation has been used to threaten soldiers with legal proceedings outside of Israel.

"Soldiers and police officers must be briefed on their rights not to be photographed, and law enforcement capabilities must be used to immediately stop the filming," Indor stated. He added that photographers who continue to film after being asked to stop, whether secretly or openly, should face arrest, investigation, and potential legal action for violating field security needs and individual rights under Israeli law.

Indor called on law enforcement to provide soldiers with the means to deal with such photography and to consider legal steps against photographers who persist after being asked to cease.