Video of Israeli Soldier Mocking Prisoner Probed

The Israeli military says it is investigating a video that appears to show an Israeli soldier dancing around a blindfolded Palestinian woman.

In the video, the woman, wearing a Muslim headscarf and long black robe, stands with her hands tied against a wall as the soldier wiggles around her making suggestive gestures.

It's the latest in a series of embarrassing videos and photos purportedly showing Israeli soldiers mocking Palestinians.

If authentic, it would be the first to specifically humiliate a Palestinian woman, a deeply sensitive issue in Arab society.

The video was uploaded to YouTube in 2008, but has gained widespread public attention since it was aired this week by a local TV station.

In a statement reported by Agence France Presse, the Palestinian Authority called the video "deeply offensive to the dignity of women."
The army said Tuesday the video did not represent military values.

This past summer the IDF reprimanded a soldier for what it called "shameful" pictures of her posing inappropriately next to Palestinians who had been arrested - images which she had uploaded to her Facebook profile.

A military spokesman said the discharged soldier's "disgraceful behavior" violated the values and ethical code of the IDF.