IDF Soldier Reprimanded for Choking CNN Cameraman During West Bank Outpost Coverage
About four months after a widely publicized incident in late March near the West Bank village of Tayseer, the IDF announced on Wednesday that the soldier who choked a CNN cameraman during coverage of an illegal settler outpost has been formally reprimanded. The military prosecution ordered disciplinary action against the soldier, who expressed remorse for his conduct. The incident was investigated by the military police, and findings were forwarded to the military prosecution for review.
The footage released by CNN showed the soldier physically restraining the cameraman, Cyril Theophilos, including a chokehold and forcibly pushing him to the ground. The soldiers also reportedly aimed weapons at journalists and Palestinians present and attempted to halt their work. During the confrontation, soldiers declared that all of Judea and Samaria belongs to Jews and spoke of seeking revenge for Yehuda Sherman, who was killed in a vehicular terror attack the previous weekend.
Following the incident, the entire reserve battalion 941 "Netzah Yisrael," veterans of Netzah Yehuda, was suspended from activity. IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir ordered a full review of the incident and related recommendations. Additionally, a soldier who spoke openly about "revenge" was dismissed. One soldier, identifying himself as "Meir," admitted the outpost was illegal under Israeli law but claimed it would eventually become legal, explaining the settler strategy of establishing outposts on Palestinian land and relying on IDF protection or non-intervention until government authorization is granted.
The soldiers described all Palestinians as terrorists and justified their actions as retaliation for the murder of Sherman, questioning the legitimacy of state response and implying soldiers must take matters into their own hands. The IDF emphasized that physical force was used by one soldier against the CNN cameraman during the encounter, which sparked international controversy and scrutiny of military conduct in the West Bank.
