The batons of Amona

Jake, Senior Correspondent of mentalblog.com Jerusalem Bureau reports:
I distinctly recall that when the British were training the newly-formed Palestinian Authority police a decade ago in the use of batons, they were taught: "Do not strike the head. You may not strike the head. Do not ever strike the head." It was emphasized very strongly. The pictures from Amona show most very clearly that the Israeli police deliberately aimed for and struck heads. The obvious intention was neither crowd control nor self defense but rather intentional injury. Check out baton usage instructions:

If the situation warrants, striking an offender with your baton will always be with the intention of temporarily disabling the offender and never with the intention of permanently injuring or harming the offender. Use only enough force to create pain and momentarily disable the offender in order to apply handcuffs or overcome resistance.

Note also the section labeled: "Striking Areas".

Do not strike the head, spine, tailbone, or upper solar plexus (area just above pit of stomach). Blows to these areas could cause death or great bodily harm.

AFP - Gali Tibbon


AP - Emilio Morenatti


Reuters - Goran Tomasevic


Reuters - Oleg Popov


Reuters - Goran Tomasevic


Reuters - Oleg Popov

Ben Chorin: Here is what really happened in Amona today: "And blood there was. It happens that I was well represented at the event. One recipient of my DNA (ROMD1) was camped out at one of the approach points at 2:30 AM. He heard the police commander instructing his troops: 'club them on the head, go straight for the head'."


AP - OdedBalilty


Pray for Yechi'am ben Rachel (via Mystical Paths).

My Obiter Dicta: Other People's Words...