MK Roman Bronfman (Meretz) has called on the IDF to stop firing rubber bullets at Israeli demonstrators against the security fence with.
"We are not talking of animals here, but human beings," he wrote in an open letter to Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz last week. "These are Jews and Arabs who are opposed to the building of the fence and are not posing any danger to the lives of soldiers.
"Just as it is inconceivable that rubber bullets would be used when evacuating illegal outposts, it should be forbidden to use rubber bullets against a population which is no less enraged than the settlers who want to protect their land," Bronfman wrote.
According to Bronfman, his office has been swamped with appeals from demonstrators against the security fence who claim the IDF treats their non-violent demonstrators with a heavy hand.
The protests have been in the villages of Bidu, Beituniya, Deir Kadis, Likya, and others along the northern Jerusalem corridor. Some demonstrators claim soldiers fired rubber bullets at them from less than 15 meters away.
"The IDF activity against the protesters is causing great damage to the image of Israel as a democratic, law abiding state which protects the basic rights of its citizens," Bronfman wrote.
