Israeli Soldier Mor Ostrovski Instagrams A Palestinian Boy's Head In Sniper Crosshairs

Impact

Mor Ostrovski, a 20-year-old Israeli soldier, posted a photograph of the back of a Palestinian boy's head in the crosshairs of his sniper rifle on his now deleted Instagram profile — reported The Guardian.

The Israeli military said the soldier's commanders were investigating the incident and that his actions "are not in accordance with the spirit of the Israel Defense Forces or its values."

And, though Ostrovski claims he did not take the picture but found it on the internet, the image has been criticized by — among others — Electronic Intifada, a news site focused on Palestinian issues, which described the photograph as "tasteless and dehumanizing." 

The incident mirrors the December discovery of racist posts from 22-year-old Israeli soldier Nisim Asis who posted racist images on his Instagram page, including a picture of himself licking tomato ketchup from a knife with the caption: "Fuck all Arabs their blood is tasty."