"Israeli" prosecutors have defended their decision not to press charges against soldiers filmed beating Palestinians, arguing the victims were not seriously hurt.

In August 2008, a number of "Israeli" border officers in occupied East Al Quds (Jerusalem) were caught on their own cell phone camera beating, abusing and humiliating Palestinian civilians.

In one of the videos, a Palestinian is filmed twisting in pain after he is repeatedly struck in the stomach.

A second Palestinian is shown being hit on the back of his neck by an officer who lifts his shirt and pulls down his trousers a few inches.

In the second film, "Israeli" forces humiliate another Palestinian, by forcing him to salute and stand to attention a number of times. One of the officers refuses to return his papers until he is deemed to have carried out the salute correctly.

"Israel's" deputy state prosecutor Shai Nitzan refused to act against the officers, saying their victims were struck with ‘light blows that did not cause real damage'.

However, the prosecutor acknowledged the officers' misconduct and referred their case to the border police's own internal disciplinary process.

Another "Israeli" authority said the event would be dealt in a disciplinary form because the offences ‘were not criminal'.

The lawyer for the "Israeli" human rights organization, Yesh Din, which brought the case to the authorities, has criticized the prosecutors' decision for implying consent to misconduct by "Israeli" forces.

"The assertion that beating a detainee is not a criminal act is even worse than the beating itself," Michael Sfard regretted, adding the pardon constitutes a wrong and dangerous ‘wink of consent'.