THE Israeli Defence Force faces a new controversy with the arrest of four soldiers.

They were arrested over an alleged theft and sale of laptop computers and mobile phones taken from activists on the Gaza aid flotilla.

The scandal comes as the IDF attempts to limit the damage from the posting on Facebook by a former Israeli soldier of pictures of her in front of blindfolded Palestinian prisoners.

Other photographs of Israeli soldiers posing in front of Palestinians covered in blood or lying on the ground are now being posted on the internet, setting off a new round of international condemnation of Israel and a debate inside the country about whether this is a systemic problem or a few "bad apples". The IDF has condemned the photographs as shameful and said its training aims to instil appropriate behaviour in troops.

In the new controversy, Israeli military police have arrested four soldiers, including an officer, over the possible theft of at least six laptops from the aid flotilla.

According to the Ynet website, which broke the story, the military police arrested the commander of an army unit who had access to the ships when they were forced into Ashdod port.

The police found additional stolen goods on top of the mobile phones and laptops they believed had been stolen.

The website quoted an Israeli officer as saying: "The investigation has just begun, but as it appears now, it will prove embarrassing and shameful."

Source: The Australian

Regardless of what they do or don't do Soren, we already know what your response is going to be...next.

Soren wrote on Aug 20^th, 2010 at 10:40pm: