Holding Hands and Skipping to Music: the New Israeli Defense Forces

Soldiers' dance in Hebron may mean trouble for some young Israelis.

Israeli soldiers dance in Hebron

(HEBRON / SALEM) - Israeli soldiers breaking into a dance routine while patrolling the West Bank city of Hebron in full combat gear?

What does it mean?

The clip has gone viral online via YouTube. Six soldiers face possible disciplinary measures for breaking out into a coordinated dance routine in the middle of the street while on duty in Hebron.

The original video title was, "Rock the Casbah in Hebron." The video disappeared Monday afternoon, but has been reuploaded by an Israeli YouTube user. It has received hundreds of responses, and local media outlets began running the unusual piece.

YNET reported, "As they walked quietly down the street armed with guns and bullet proof vests, the soldiers were set into motion for a skit that lasted a few seconds when Kesha's hit song 'Tik Tok' came on in the background."

Many found the dance steps humorous, though some comments about the video were less than savory.

One person wrote, "It's easy to laugh at the occupation when you're the repressor (and a douche bag)."

This is far from the first time that a military group has been recorded performing a dance number, but these soldiers chose to have fun in a place where the people they 'patrol' are highly oppressed, living with Israeli occupational forces in their neighborhoods every day, providing a perpetual military atmosphere for normal citizens.

Recently, similar videos from other military groups have popped up online, with one of the most popular being US troops in Afghanistan performing a Lady Gaga song.

In the YNET article, Ehud Kenan wrote that the controversial dance routine performed by soldiers on duty in Hebron may land them in hot water, over the stunt.

It is important to note that all citizens of Israel must serve in the military when they reach the age of 18. This applies to men and women. In the past we have covered a variety of stories about Israeli citizens refusing to serve, as well as other political campaigns and actions within Israel to reel in the ultra-militaristic nature of the Jewish state.

Many Israeli citizens believe peace might one day exist with the Palestinians, whose family land has been seized over the last 60 years by Israel. Everyone in Israel does not agree with the government's Zionist ambitions to rob the Palestinians, or with the continued building of illegal settlements. Perhaps we caught a glimpse of something in this video that is a good sign; of progress and interest in things beyond occupation. Surely the young people of Israel are tired of forced military service.

Maybe in the future we will see IDF units revolt and disband, and begin to think for themselves, instead of relying on Uncle Bibi's constant advice, which never leads to good results. Israel's young deserve better; they should not be forced to be part of an immoral war machine.

Original article on YNET: Soldiers' dance in Hebron may mean trouble

The video below is one of my personal favorites. It was recorded in Iraq:

This video of a U.S. Marine dancing to Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' shows a lighter side of military life:

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Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines.

Tim holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website. You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com