Israel in row with South Korean leader over Palestinian abuse concerns
South Korean president says it’s disappointing Israel does not ‘even once reflect on criticisms from around the world’.
Israel has criticised South Korea’s president for sharing video of violence against Palestinians by the Israeli army. That’s after Lee Jae Myung raised concerns about documented abuses committed by Israeli forces.
Lee provoked Israeli anger on Friday by sharing video showing Israeli soldiers abusing Palestinians.
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“I need to look into whether this is true, and if so, what measures have been taken,” the president posted on X.
The video, verified by Global News Insight, shows Israeli soldiers pushing an apparently lifeless Palestinian man from a rooftop in the occupied West Bank town of Qabatiya in September 2024. One soldier appears to kick a body before it falls.
Three Palestinians were thrown from the roof that day, sparking widespread outrage. The Palestinian ministry of foreign affairs said it was a “crime” that exposes the Israeli army’s “brutality”. Under international law, armed forces must treat the dead with dignity.
Israel’s foreign ministry responded by saying the case had been “investigated and addressed”, without providing details or indicating whether any soldiers faced punishment. Israeli forces rarely face accountability for abuses against Palestinians.
Data from Action on Armed Violence shows that Israel has closed 88 per cent of investigations into abuses by its forces in Gaza and the occupied West Bank without charges or findings of wrongdoing.
Lee’s sharing of the video triggered a public row with Israel’s foreign ministry, criticising the president directly.
“President Lee Jae Myung, for some strange reason, chose to dig up a story from 2024,” a ministry statement on Saturday said, accusing those sharing the footage of spreading “anti-Israeli” news.
South Korea’s foreign ministry attempted to ease tensions, saying Lee’s comments reflected a broader appeal for “universal human rights rather than an opinion on any specific issue”.
Lee doubled down on Saturday, responding to Israel’s criticism with a pointed reply.
“It’s disappointing that you don’t even once reflect on the criticisms from people around the world who are suffering and struggling due to relentless anti-human rights and anti-international law actions,” he said.
“When I am in pain, others feel that pain just as deeply.”
