JERUSALEM (AP) – A leading Israeli rights group said Wednesday it will stop seeking investigations of Israeli soldiers suspected of abusing Palestinians, arguing that internal military probes have failed to deliver justice and effectively help whitewash half a century of occupation.
In a rebuke to the military justice system, the Israeli group B’Tselem said military investigations are deeply flawed and create a “mere semblance of justice.”
Hagai El-Ad, the group’s executive director, said B’Tselem would stop cooperating with a system it cannot trust.
“The system’s real function is cover-ups,” he said. He said once the group reached that “painful conclusion … we found it morally unacceptable for us to continue working in the same way.”
The Israeli military said B’Tselem’s stance was biased and did not reflect reality. In a statement Wednesday, it insisted the military was “committed to the rule of the law and its legal system acts with utmost professionalism and thoroughness.”