IDF Soldier Posts Detainee Pics on Facebook

A former Israel Defense Forces soldier has caused an international firestorm by posting pictures of herself on Facebook posing next to blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinian detainees—and she says there’s nothing wrong with the photos. Eden Abergil uploaded a photo album labeled “IDF—the best time of my life,” in which she’s pictured smiling next to the detained men in handcuffs and blindfolds. Abergil was discharged from the IDF a year ago, so the IDF has no power to keep her from posting the pictures. "I still don't understand what's wrong," Abergil told a radio station Thursday, adding that the "pictures were taken in goodwill, there was no statement in them." The former soldier said the men depicted were from Gaza and arrested attempting to enter Israel. She dismissed the suggestion that Israel’s reputation would be damaged by the photos, saying, “Whatever we do, we will always be attacked.” A human-rights activist said the images show that Palestinians are viewed as objects, not humans. An IDF spokesman said the photos showed “base and crude” behavior.