Acting to appease civil rights organizations, the Supreme Court on Tuesday, in a rare move, opted to interfere in legal proceedings in the IDF against Lt.-Colonel Omri Borburg, the former commander of the 71st Battalion who was compelled to step down after he was captured on video ordering a soldier to fire a rubber bullet at a bound Arab suspect.

The petitioners, four organizations, are calling on the chief military prosecutor to bring a more severe criminal indictment down against the officer, unsatisfied with the army�s handling of the matter. The court issued a restraining order freezing the legal process against Borburg, giving the military three weeks to respond to the high court on the matter.

The petitioners reject the IDF�s indictment which does not carry the possibility of a criminal record. They maintain the Chief Prosecutor Brigadier-General Avichai Mandelblitt�s handling of the case is proof of the �light-handed attitude� the military takes when the rights of Arabs are violated. They also feel this sends a �dangerous� message to soldiers and officers alike.

Justice Ayala Procaccia accepted the petition and issued the order, compelling the IDF response in the case.

(Yechiel Spira � YWN Israel)