The IDF's name is being smeared across the world media as gruesome pictures of one IDF soldier mocking and posing besides Palestinian prisoners arrive to us in the vehicle of... her facebook page.

Eden Abergil, a former IDF soldier posted the pictures earlier this month in a facebook album entitled 'The army... the most beautiful time in my life ;)'

The pictures, which can be seen below show Abergil next to blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinian prisoners, posing with smirks and kissy faces.

Naturally, the world and indeed, Israel itself, is expressing outrage at these pictures. Israel is once again being highlighted in the world media as an apartheid state with a sadist army. The world media publicized the pictures as soon as they hit the underground blog-o-sphere. Al-Jazeera said the soldier, "intentionally degraded the detainees on Facebook," while the Syrian press condemned "the sadist culture of the occupation army."

Because Abergil was discharged from the IDF over a year ago, the army has no power to prevent her from publicizing the photographs. Since the international uproar however, her facebook profile has been deleted and Abergil has since told Ynet she was sorry if anyone was hurt.

"I actually took care of the detainees," she said Monday. "The army let me down. I risked my life and was wounded...and now I'm sorry that I served in such army."

Unfortunately apologies are not going to make any of this go away. What she did was sickening. And while indeed, her behavior is beyond despicable, it has now become the measure by which the global community will judge all future behavior of the IDF. Israel is by no means an apartheid entity nor a sadist state, regardless of what anyone is saying. But who in their right minds is going to believe that now?

It is truly unfortunate that the moronic behavior of one individual can create such a web of hatred that is directed not at her, her stupidity, or the isolated case itself, but rather the entire Israeli army.

The IDF Spokesperson's Office has of course condoned the actions of Abergil and has said the army would punish any soldier who behaves inappropriately towards detainees and suspects.

"Aside from the punishment, the soldiers and commanders are educated daily, through training and orders, on the difference between what is permitted and what is not, and between what fits with IDF standards and what doesn't," the army said in a statement. Most of these incidents are investigated as a result of commanders' awareness and not because of surprise inspections or outside information. These actions are ugly and callous; details of the incident have been forwarded up the chain of command.""

Despite the IDF's best intentions, and indeed, the national intention of the country, this is not going to go away or be forgiven and forgotten any time soon. Rather this will be an added fuel to the already thriving fire of anti-Israel sentiment worldwide.

Journalist and blogger Dimi Reider wrote:"These pictures really do speak for themselves; of course, [Eden] is no better or worse than thousands of other Israeli soldiers, and I'd like to hope a few years from now she'll be appalled, rather than amused by the memories."

To say that most Israeli soldiers are like this one incredibly silly and morally corrupt girl is simply not true. Just last month Cpl. Elinor Joseph, a Christian Arab told the media that throughout her service in the IDF, she has never been disrespected, nor has she ever witnessed a show of disrespect towards Palestinians.

Indeed, if Israel was such a sadist army, why would it instruct it's soldiers not to eat or smoke in front of Arab and Palestinian detainees during their holy month of Ramadan? Does that sounds like a disparaging regime?

While much more criticism is expected from all sides in the upcoming weeks, former IDF commando Aaron Cohen said it best in one CNN interview: "I'm sorry, but in every organization there's an idiot. And this girl's an idiot."

And we all pay the price for stupidity.

by T. Litvin