Israeli-run police training in Panama used targets depicting Arabs

Images have surfaced on social media showing officers from the Panama police forces pointing guns at targets depicting people wearing Arab headdress during an Israeli-run training course. 

The images were posted on the Twitter pages of the National Police and the local Israeli chamber of commerce but were shortly deleted. 

After deleting the post, the police force issued a statement of apology: 

"We regret that during an event in which, as an institution, we participated as guests, a situation outside the nature of our mission and duty as the first security institution arose, for which we wish to present our apologies to those who have felt affected." 

#Comunicado | Lamentamos que durante un acto en el que como institución participamos como invitados haya surgido una situación ajena a la naturaleza de nuestra misión y deber como primera Institución de seguridad. pic.twitter.com/h2MebZOLR7

— Policía Nacional (@ProtegeryServir) October 2, 2021

The post was met with backlash from Twitter users as well as from the Panamanian Committee of Solidarity with Palestine who made a request to the government in Panama to discontinue the intervention of foreign countries in training security forces. 

The Panamanian Committee of Solidarity with Palestine also said the training course promoted “violence and racism so that anyone who wears a hijab or something similar can be classified as a terrorist”.

Que vergüenza @ProtegeryServir son entrenados por la embajada de Israel @IsraelinPanama al tiro al blanco usando la imagen de una persona con una Kufiya @copasolpa @HoyPalestina @CancilleriaPma @CoplacOficial https://t.co/EG7j1ivYQN pic.twitter.com/zxcimhMVDl

— Pedro Silva Underdog☭🇵🇦 (@PedroUnderdog09) October 1, 2021

The Palestinian Information Office in Panama denounced the training course practice:

“The target shooting training codes of conduct only accept silhouettes without images … [this] is an act of discrimination and racism that Panama should not tolerate,” local media reported.