• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • Comment Rules
  • Privacy Policy

Tikun Olam תיקון עולם

Promoting Israeli democracy, exposing secrets of the national security state

You are here: Home / Mideast Peace / IDF Torturer Doron Zahavi Wants to Sodomize Arabs and Get Medal for It

IDF Torturer Doron Zahavi Wants to Sodomize Arabs and Get Medal for It

February 5, 2012 by Richard Silverstein 17 Comments

Share this:
doron zahavi

Doron Zahavi, pixellated (Eli Attias)

Doron Zahavi, who still can be called only “Captain George” in the Israeli media, has gone public with his grievance against the IDF, which employed him to torture kidnapped Arabs who were thought to have intelligence about affairs in Lebanon or Syria, specifically Israeli prisoners of war. Among those he worked his wonders on was Mustafa Dirani, who was thought to have specific knowledge of the whereabouts of Ron Arad. Yossi Gurvitz reports ( in Hebrew) that Zahavi ordered one of his subordinates to undress and rape Dirani. Another Zahavi subordinate, who blew the whistle on the whole military torture complex he ran, says his commander sodomized Dirani with a nightstick.

The brave torturer has the effrontery to claim that the anal lacerations Dirani suffered were due to “constipation,” for which they gave him a laxative that caused him to soil himself.  The victim says he was forced to wear a diaper constantly even when it contained excrement.  And such treatment, as Gurvitz confirms and as I’ve reported here previously is SOP for the Israeli torture apparatus.

There are those who applaud the Israeli Supreme Court for outlawing torture in a landmark ruling.  But unlike the U.S. Supreme Court, the Israeli rulings appear to be only advisory and not declarative.  The security apparatus feels emboldened to act as it wishes, court ruling or no.  That’s why IDF Gen. Yair Naveh ordered Palestinian militants murdered in cold blood though they were unarmed, in direct violation of a Supreme Court ruling.  Note, that the brave justices, when offered an opportunity to review Naveh’s brazen violation of their ruling, refused to do so, in characteristically timid fashion.

mustafa dirani

Israeli prison guard offering Mustafa Dirani a hearty 'a votre sante' on his release from prison (Life)

Gurvitz notes that, like the CIA tapes of waterboarding of Al Qaeda suspects which were erased, the Dirani interrogation tapes mysteriously disappeared.  They must’ve thought where there’s no smoke there can be no fire.  If the tapes had survived the fire might have burned not just Zahavi and his boss, but a very senior IDF commander, Amos Gilad.  That’s pretty high up the food chain.  Zahavi claims Gilad was watching the interrogations in real-time.

Despite the destruction of key evidence, the IDF didn’t bargain for a disgruntled subordinate stricken by conscience for the horrible things he did there, would spill the beans and expose the whole sordid mess publicly.  That whistleblower himself has been threatened with state prosecution for perpetrating some of the alleged crimes of which he charges Zahavi.  The Israeli motto seems to be: let no good deed go unpunished.

On the strength of this claim and the notoriety that derived from it, Zahavi’s notorious Unit 504 was disbanded (only to re-emerge in recent months in all its former glory), Dirani was freed, and the IDF officer was cashiered. Though he resurfaced as the Israeli police’s chief anti-Arab enforcer for East Jerusalem. He has the title of “liaison” to the Palestinian community. But Jouad Siam knows first hand what that means. Zahavi threatened to destroy the home of the Silwan activist and to destroy the community organization he founded if he refused to inform on his fellow Palestinians.

Dirani is now suing the Israeli government for the abuse he suffered and the Israeli Supreme Court ruled the trial may go forward. Zahavi too is suing the government because it didn’t give him a medal for the dirty work he did on its behalf. He wants a tidy sum in return for keeping his mouth shut. He even says he’d take a job in Alaska (I didn’t know there were any IDF outposts there or any torture victims for him to work on) if they’d at least treated him with the respect he deserved. This reminds me of a Martin Scorsese mafia pic in which the disaffected made-guy goes to the don and whines about being cut out of the spoils and not getting what he has coming to him. Usually the guy is offed in the next reel, though I’m not sure the IDF has gotten to the point where it gets rid of its own rotten apples in that fashion.

Lest you doubt he is a rotten apple, take a peek at this:

“If this goes to court, what I told you today is just the teaser,” he threatens, “Trust me – no one really wants me to climb up to the stand. If I have to stand there and speak of Dirani, you’ll find out I have plenty more to say about how the apparatus acts when it needs to hide all sorts of things […] and everyone is a liar, which is why the country is where it is today, no deterrence, nothing. And in the end? I’m the apparatus’ scapegoat.”

If he doesn’t get the Israel Prize for torture he’s going to sing all day on the stand and tell the world how dirty the IDF and security apparatus is.  Now, this could be the disgruntled ravings of an extortionist who’s bluffing; or this guy has the goods and he’s willing to tell the world just how vile and dirty the entire Israeli security system is.  I’d say the truth is somewhere in between.  My guess is that while he does have plenty of dirt, that he’s more interested in upping the price for his silence than telling all the dirty little secrets.  He’s too much a company man and probably too much a blowhard and coward to really tell it all.  But that’s just a guess.

Gurvitz’s closing paragraph is poignant and compelling:

The Dirani-George case, had it been treated properly, may have become the 300 Line affair of the 504 unit. This did not happen, simply because the public does not wish to know. In 2012 Israel (as in 1994 Israel, as in 1984 Israel) the idea that every person – even Dirani, even George – is a human being, which must not be deprived by reducing him to quivering piece of meat, lying in its own excrement, is still a radical one.

I would only add that the only reason the 300 Line affair was exposed was that a senior IDF commander was accused of a crime he didn’t commit and while the entire government apparatus closed ranks behind the lying scumbag of a Shin Bet chief who perpetrated the coverup, the military officer wouldn’t go quietly.  Also, there were a few brave media outlets which defied censorship and reported the scandal.  In the Zahavi case there are no IDF sacrificial lambs, nor is there a brave media ready to defy the censor and spill the beans.  But Gurvitz’s main claim is correct: the Israeli public doesn’t give a crap about the suffering of an Arab.  Let Dirani rot in hell would be the prevailing wisdom.

I noticed something very peculiar about Yossi’s post when it was republished at 972 Magazine.  The link to my own post which exposed the name of Doron Zahavi, which Yossi graciously included in his own blog post, was gone once it was republished at 972.  It’s fairly easy to figure out why.  The 972 editor who republished made a judgement that merely by linking to my post they might bring the wrath of the Israeli security services on them.

Now, to be clear, it is not illegal (yet) in Israel to link to a foreign source which exposes the identity of an Israeli security officer.  In fact, Zahavi is no longer in the IDF and so isn’t even protected by the traditional proffer of anonymity offered to military and intelligence officers in the media.  But 972 figured self-censorship was the better part of valor.  It’s what I call pre-emptive self-censorship.  Linking to my blog may not be illegal yet, but let’s err on the side of caution and not give the security goons an excuse to go after us.  I understand the dangers faced by the dissenting media inside Israel.  But still, if they don’t have courage, who will?  So I think it was essentially a cowardly act.

Yossi’s act of linking to me was brave such principled blogging is why he’s been interrogated by the police for his blog.  As for 972?  Not so much.

If anyone has a photo of the real Captain George, please let me know.  He deserves to have his name and image up in lights.

Let’s add to this an only tangentially related matter that another 972 writer, Dimi Reider took a nasty potshot at me that was riddled with inaccuracies in his own 972 column.  When I asked Noam Sheizaf for the right of reply in a 972 post he never answered.  So much for progressive solidarity and fairness.

UPDATE: Noam Sheizaf and Dimi Reider have replied to my criticisms above: Sheizaf says the link to my Doron Zahavi post was replaced when it was republished at 972 through an “innocent mistake” that will be corrected.  I made the assumptions I did above based on what I saw on the website.  In response to his question why I didn’t bother to contact him directly before speaking publicly about it, I reminded him of his lack of response to my last message.  We’re all human beings and base our judgments and responses on how others treat us.  Sheizaf apparently feels I’ve gored his and 972’s ox, but doesn’t seem to understand that others may feel their own ox has been gored as well.

There is another possible explanation for the disappearance of that link.  That is that Yossi republished the article with the link and someone else removed it.  Possibly someone motivated by pique at my strong response to Dimi Reider’s post.  If that’s the case, then the motives are even pettier than the reason I ascribed above.

Reider says one of my main criticisms of the innacuracy of his characterization of my claims about the drone strike resulted from a “typo” on his part.

Related

Filed Under: Mideast Peace Tagged With: censorship, doron zahavi, press freedom, torture

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  Subscribe  
newest oldest most voted
Notify of
Amir G

” Yossi Gurvitz reports ( in Hebrew) that Zahavi ordered one of his subordinates to undress and rape Dirani. Another Zahavi subordinate, who blew the whistle on the whole military torture complex he ran, says his commander sodomized Dirani with a nightstick.”

That’s not what Gurvitz reports.
Gurvitz reports that Captain Gorge ordered one of the soldiers to undress and approach Dirani in a THREATENING MANNER, and told Dirani that the soldier is going to rape him. Capetian Gorge reprimand the soldier – who was embarrass by the situation – telling him it was a serious matter and he shouldn’t smile.

שהוא אמר לחייל צה”ל להתפשט ולהתקרב לדיראני באופן מאיים, ואמר לדיראני שהחייל עומד לאנוס אותו. הוא אף נזף בחייל שחייך במבוכה ואמר לו “זה עסק רציני.”

Gurvitz doesn’t claim that there is a witness who saw Gurvitz rapping Dirani with a nightstick, where did you get that from ?

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 5, 2012 3:21 AM
Ian Gray

Israel ant its agents are no different than any of the brutal Arab or Iranian dictatorships they constantly criticize. The constant propaganda to show it as a democratic, developed, humane society is not going to change this fact.
It’s a shame because the country was created out of the ashes of horrible human acts and it should have become the nighest example of human dignity in the World. Instead, it is fast declining to the bottom of the pit, using our assistance and tax dollars.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 5, 2012 6:09 AM
Denis

I’ve pretty much struck 972 off my blog-list. Some of the writers are worth reading but the editors will immediately suppress any comments that are contrary to the 972 party line.

I’m beginning to think that this nasty, my-way-or-the-highway edge is just the way Israelis are, on either side of the issue. Maybe its the de-salinated water they drink.

Who needs it. There are enough well-run blogs on the topic and life is short.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 5, 2012 8:34 AM
Izik

“I’m beginning to think that this nasty, my-way-or-the-highway edge is just the way Israelis are,”

WTF?

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 5, 2012 8:55 AM
Joel

So of Ron Arad’s whereabouts had been accounted for, than this sordid affair could have been avoided.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 5, 2012 12:09 PM
Richard Silverstein

If you were a dedicated fighter on behalf of your nation and kidnapped by the enemy and tortured for information that would help the enemy chances are you wouldn’t have revealed anything you know, if you were tough enough. Dirani apparently was tough enough. Not to mention that Dirani may not have known anything. We’ve seen Israel kidnap Dirar Abusisi in the belief he could help free Gilad Shalit. That turned out to be based on Hamas trickery. Who knows on what intelligence info Israel based the decision to kidnap Dirani?

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 5, 2012 5:18 PM
Richard Silverstein

On the contrary, this is what Yossi’s English translation of his blog post states (& I linked to it so you have no excuse for missing it):

he ordered a male IDF soldier to undress and approach Dirani in a threatening manner, and then told Dirani the soldier was about to rape him. He even reprimanded the soldier, who was smiling in embarrassment: “Behave correctly, this is serious business.”

Do you not understand the insider wink-wink, nudge-nudge in this “banter” between boss & subordinate. This was a carefully orchestrated operation planned beforehand between Zahavi & the would be “rapist.”

Your last sentence is a total mess & you might want to devote more care next time before you publish. You certainly didn’t mean to say that “a witness saw Gurvitz rapping Dirani…” Gurvitz didn’t “rapp” or rape anyone. The only reason we know about all this is because of another whistleblower who I’ve written a post about which you can find here, who reported the details of what Zahavi did to Dirani.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 5, 2012 7:18 PM
Amir G

There is a huge difference between ordering a soldier to rape Dirani (which is what you reported) to ordering a soldier to approach Dirani in a threatening manner (which is what Gurvits reported).

Please link to your original story about the whistle-blower i was unable to find it.

In the last sentence just replace the 2nd Gurvits, with cap. Gorge. and rapping with raping.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 5, 2012 7:32 PM
Richard Silverstein

You’ve conveniently left out the fact that Zahavi ordered the soldier to take off his clothes. Then he ordered the naked soldier to approach Dirani. What message do you think that was conveying? That they were going for a walk in the garden? Clearly he was threatening him with real rape as opposed to “merely” rape by pipe as actually happened.

If you wish to be thick-headed you’re welcome to it. But please don’t expect us to fall for what you’re peddling.

https://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2011/12/18/captain-george-aka-doron-zahavi-rides-again/

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 6, 2012 12:57 AM
Amir G

And you call me think headed ?
just a reminder, you quoted Gurvitz saying “Yossi Gurvitz reports ( in Hebrew) that Zahavi ordered one of his subordinates to undress and rape Dirani.”

Gurvitz never said that, and between i didn’t leave anything out. I quoted correctly on my first response.

Capt. George was playing psy-ops on Dirani, as part he ordered the soldier to undress, it is entirely different then ordering the soldier to rape Dirani. Such never happened.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 6, 2012 1:39 AM
Richard Silverstein

What is wrong with you? Have you missed this passage?

George admits – he has little choice, there is a witness – that he ordered a male IDF soldier to undress and approach Dirani in a threatening manner, and then told Dirani the soldier was about to rape him

I’m rapidly losing both patience & interest in this exchange. If you want to be a clod, do so on your own time somewhere else.

Don’t post another comment in this thread. You’re done here.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 6, 2012 2:43 AM
The Hasbara Buster

There are those who applaud the Israeli Supreme Court for outlawing torture in a landmark ruling.

Richard, the Israeli Supreme Court didn’t outlaw torture at all. In paragraph 38 of its ruling, it allowed torture to meet immediate and otherwise unavoidable grievous threats to innocent life. So that whenever Israel wants to torture someone, it declares them a grievous threat et voilà, business as usual.

Israel’s “landmark rulings” always come with a caveat that renders them irrelevant. My latest blog post is precisely devoted to this issue.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 6, 2012 2:45 PM
Richard Silverstein

I should’ve been more precise & you are right. The Court always leaves a loophole big enough for a Mack truck to drive through.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 6, 2012 6:10 PM
Mike Kerr

It is amazing what you people are quibbling about. The fact is the man was tortured. How twisted can you be to think otherwise whether the man was penetrated or not? It is like Abu Graib when the soldiers put attack dogs on the prisoners. It is no less torture because the dogs did not bite anyone. The perpetrators are the ones who need to be in prison. Did these tactics reveal any information? Probably not. Freaking barbarians.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 9, 2012 11:23 AM
Mike Kerr

Yep. It’s the propaganda dance they are famous for. War by deception is the motto,is that not right?

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 9, 2012 11:26 AM
terry mc falls

why does this surprise anyone America has been the Israeli whore for years…

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 12, 2012 2:02 PM
Michael D

Richard,

One small correction. The 300 bus incident was uncovered by the then Israeli paper Hadashot, and the Israeli photographer Alex Libak who photographed the hostage takers alive. As a result, as punishment for breaking the gag order, the paper was closed for four days. The only reason Libak was able to take that picture was because the Military Police were slow in cordoning off the area and blocking access to the press. I have it on personal knowledge that a number of Military Police were court-martialed as a result.

Michael

Vote Up0Vote Down 
February 21, 2012 12:10 AM
wpdiscuz   wpDiscuz
  • Bibi Netanyahu (Steve Bell)
  • Neyestani: Leaders to war, followers to peace
  • neyestani bibi-ahmadinejad
    Neyestani: Lower life forms of Middle East
  • Neyestani: Netanyahu in Gaza
  • Gee's Bend African-American quilt
  • Gee's Bend quilt
  • Gee's Bend quilt
  • Gee's Bend quilt, Ana Mae Young
  • Palestinian Refugee, 1948
  • Nakba: grandaughter and grandfather
  • historical Jerusalem map
  • Neve Shalom, Dove of Peace
  • Jerusalem Hope, Palestine Poster Collection
  • Offering Reconciliation, Parent's Circle exhibition
  • Mohammed Said Kalash bowl, Offering Reconciliation, Parent's Circle
  • Tsilya Aguf, Ukraine 1930s (Centropa)
  • Shushan Machzor (New York Public Library)
  • Haggadah, 14th century
  • Sarajevo Haggadah
  • Sarajevo Haggadah, Mah Nishtanah
  • Ketubah, Iran
  • Israel-Palestine Dove (Avi Katz)
  • Pinchas and Jamila (Avi Katz)
  • avi katz fired
    Animal Farm parody (artist: Avi Katz)
  • Bibi Netanyahu (Vanity Fair)
  • Naftali Bennett, Lebanon war criminal
  • Sabra Hulk (Mysh )
  • Adelson with Israeli Tembel ( Mysh)
  • A Problem of Self Image (Mysh )
  • Kol Isha 'Two Birds'
  • "Promises," Israeli & Palestinian Boy
  • menachem froman
    Rabbi Menachem Froman z"l (Rina Castelnuovo)
  • Rabbi Menachem Froman & Imam
  • Great Day on Eldrige Street, Klezmer musicians
  • Eldridge Street Shul
  • Yale Strom, Klezmer-Eldridge Street shul
  • Brundibar set, Maurice Sendak
  • Besa Albanian-Muslim Righteous Gentile (Norman Gershman)
  • Daniel Barenboim, West-Eastern Diwan Orchestra
  • Hebron Palestinian in IDF gunsight (Breaking the Silence)
  • Banksy revolutionary flower thrower
  • delegitimize occupation
    Delegitimize Occupation (Michael Levin-Richard Silverstein)
  • Archipelago of Palestine
  • Bedouin: I am Invisible
  • East Jerusalem shouk
  • dolls of palestine
    YWCA Dolls of Palestine
  • Fabric of Our Lives, YWCA of Palestine
  • Fabric of Our Lives Project, YWCA of Palesstine
  • Palestine
  • Palestinian embroidery, Bethlehem
  • palestinian quilt
    Palestinian child's quilt
  • Palestinian embroidery
  • Bethelehem embroidery
    Palestinian embroidery, Bethlehem
  • Balian Armenian ceramics, Olive Tree
  • Marie Balian, Armenian ceramics
  • Jerusalem pottery, 1972
  • Balian ceramics, East Jerusalem
  • Balian ceramics, East Jerusalem
  • Mosque ceiling, Iran
  • Mosque ceiling, Iran
  • Mosque ceiling, Qom Iran
  • Vakil mosque, Shiraz
  • Nasir al Mulik Pink mosque
  • Seyyed Mosque, Isfahan
  • Mosque ceiling, Iran
  • Aliqapu Palace, Isfahan (photo: M. Ganji)
  • Sheikh Lutfollah Mosque, Isfahan
  • Vank Cathedral, Isfahan (photo: M. Ganji)
  • Golestan Palace, Tehran (photo: M. Ganji)
  • Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, Shiraz (photo: M. Ganji)
  • Tabātabāei House, Kashan (photo: M. Ganji)
  • Borujerdi Kouse, Kashan (photo: M. Ganji)
  • Chehel Sotoun Palace, Isfahan (photo: M. Ganji)
  • Shah Cheragh shrine iran
    Shah-e-Cheragh Shrine, Shiraz
  • Timche-Ye Amin Od-Dowleh, Kashan (photo: M. Ganji)
  • 12th century quran
    12th century Qur'an (Iraq)
  • Bellevue skyline with Cascades
  • Washington Park Arboretum, fall 2015
  • Rose, Honorine de Brabant
  • Sunflower
  • Abraham and Akeda
  • Pincus and the Pig: a Klezmer Tale
  • Abuyudaya: proto-Jews of Uganda
  • Im Tirzu: a Fascist Movement
  • Marcy Silverstein and semi-pro baseball team circa 1920
  • Elijah's Cup by Szyk
  • Pete Seeger & Bruce Springsteen, 'This Land is Your Land' (Justin Sullivan-Getty)
  • Leonard Baskin: Ruth and Naomi, "Five Scrolls"
  • Ben Shahn, "You Have Not Converted a Man"
  • Study for Goyescas, Ben Shahn
  • Ben Shahn Allegory
    Allegory, Ben Shahn
  • Ben Shahn's Ecclesiastes
  • Ben Shahn, The Phoenix
  • Ben Shahn Warsaw 1943, Martyrology, "These I Remember"
  • Ben Shahn exhibition poster
  • Ben Shahn's Haggadah
  • chagall hadassah window
    Chagall Hadassah chapel window
  • Shavuot papercut, Poland
  • Hamsa with Star of David
  • Beatrice Wood: vase gourd
  • Ramallah nursing students take a lunch break. (Tanya Habjouqa)
  • Toy delivery van on Gaza Beach Highway. (Tanya Habjouqa)
  • The Gaza Parkour And Free Running team practice in a cemetery in Khan Younis, Gaza. (Tanya Habjouqa)
  • Shah Cheragh shrine iran
    Shah-e-Cheragh Shrine, Shiraz

Tax Deductible Donations

Support Tikun Olam via Paypal

Follow Tikun Olam

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • Netanyahu, Pompeo See Opportunity for Regime Change in Iran Unrest
  • As Britain Faces Renewed Islamist Terror, Chief Rabbi Looks for Enemies in ‘All the Wrong Places’
  • Israeli WeWork Founder, Adam Neumann, Led Corporate Cult, Helped Produce Kushner Middle East Peace Video
  • Likud Leadership Rival, Gideon Saar, Calls for Netanyahu Resignation, Party Primary Vote
  • Netanyahu Indicted on Three Corruption Counts

Search

Categories

Archives

Pages

  • Photo Gallery
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Publications (author page)

  • Middle East Eye
  • The Nation Magazine
  • Al Jazeera
  • Jacobin
  • New Arab
  • Comment is Free
  • Mint Press News
  • Truthout
  • Seattle Times

Mideast Peace

  • Free Haifa
  • Palestine Think Tank
  • Zochrot
  • Visualizing Paiestine
  • Occupation Magazine
  • HaOkets העוקץ
  • Penjihad's Blog
  • If Not Now
  • Palestine Center for Digital Media
  • Encounter Programs

Progressive Media

  • Challenging Christian Zionism
  • Transatlantikblog
  • Jews on First
  • Jewish Voice for Labour
  • Global Voices

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2019 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to provide you with the best browsing experience.

Find out more or adjust your settings.

Tikun Olam  תיקון עולם
Powered by GDPR plugin
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

Cookie Policy

More information about our Cookie Policy