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Israeli policewoman ‘forgotten’ in Arab town wanders streets as Palestinians laugh, film her

Officials initially claimed the video of a female officer seemingly left behind in Arab enclave was misinterpreted.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

The commanders of a Border Police unit and the battalion’s operational activities were suspended until further notice on Wednesday after a video of a Border Policewoman seemingly left behind in an Arab enclave went viral on social media.

The video, which is believed to have been filmed on Tuesday morning, depicts a petite woman in a Border Police uniform walking through the streets of Al-Ram, a Palestinian Authority-controlled town on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

The young woman is alone, which is in direct violation of Border Police protocol that mandates officers travel in pairs, and appears shaken, randomly pointing her gun while glancing around as bemused Arab locals film her and laugh.

The woman was unharmed in the incident, which began as an operation to arrest three Al-Ram locals who had hurled stones at Jewish motorists.

Initially, the Border Police claimed that the woman was not “forgotten” in the enclave and that she was in constant communication with her unit and within their line of sight; the video would suggest this is not the case, as no Border Police officers or vehicles can be seen, and the female officer appears as though she is frightened and searching for backup.

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During the video, she can be heard shouting into her cell phone, “Answer me! Yes, I’m here, I’m here!” as though trying to relay her location to her unit, which would also suggest they had already left the area.

Border Police Chief Amir Cohen’s decision to suspend the unit and its commanders until the completion of an investigation into the matter suggests that serious operational errors were made.

According to a Ynet report, Cohen also ordered that other Border Police units immediately undergo additional training regarding operational activity and procedures in Al-Ram.

The woman’s name and rank in the Border Police have not been made public.