The Israel Defense Forces has updated its media regulations in response to stalking attempts by global pro-terror elements aiming to imprison IDF soldiers during trips abroad over claims of “genocide” and “war crimes” in Gaza.
“The protocols apply to media coverage of operational activities in all combat zones, regardless of location,” the IDF said in its updated protocols.
“Interviewees must not be linked to a specific combat event they participated in . . . Officers at the rank of Colonel and below must be filmed from behind, with the soldier’s face obscured, and only the first initial of their name used.”
For dual-nationality soldiers, “as a general rule, interviews will be conducted with the soldier’s face obscured, without disclosing their full names, for all roles (combat and non-combat.”
The move follows an attempt by Brazilian authorities last weekend to arrest an Israeli soldier who was vacationing in the country.
“Following an attempt last weekend by anti-Israeli elements to investigate a discharged Israeli soldier who visited Brazil, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar immediately activated the Foreign Ministry to ensure that the Israeli citizen was not in danger,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday following the incident.
The Israeli embassy in Brazil facilitated the soldier’s “swift and safe departure” from the country.
The order by the Brazilian judge directed local law enforcement to take “immediate action” in response to an urgent request by the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) to arrest the soldier for “war crimes” in Gaza.
The organization accused the soldier of “participating in massive demolitions of civilian homes in Gaza during a systematic campaign of destruction.” The soldier was a survivor of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre at the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, in an invasion that launched the current Iron Swords War.
“We are witnessing a systematic and antisemitic campaign aimed at denying Israel’s right to self-defense. Countless international actors and many countries are complicit in this,” Sa’ar said in a statement.
The Hind Rajab Foundation is named for a young Arab girl killed during the IDF’s subsequent invasion of Gaza in response to the Hamas massacre.
On its website, HRF states that it “focuses on offensive legal action against perpetrators, accomplices and inciters of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine. We also invest in awareness campaigns to challenge Israeli impunity and honor the memory of the victims.”
The organization claims to have filed arrest requests for 1,000 dual-national IDF soldiers in multiple countries, including Cyprus, (a frequent destination for vacationing Israelis), Argentina (whose president is a strong supporter of Israel), Belgium, France, Spain, Ireland, South Africa, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Chile.
According to Israel’s Foreign Ministry, at least 12 complaints have been filed abroad against IDF soldiers, accusing them of committing “war crimes.”
