Israeli Soldiers Bond With Palestinians Over Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style,’ Army Furious

The Israeli army has launched an investigation after a video of a group of its soldiers dancing to Korean pop sensation Psy’s “Gangnam Style” with Palestinians hit the Internet.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the video shows the army’s elite Givati Brigade -- in full battlefield regalia -- dancing with young Palestinians at a Hebron nightclub, which is said to be a hangout frequented by supporters of Hamas, a Palestinian organization considered to be Israel’s sworn enemy.

The soldiers were reportedly on patrol in the area when they heard the remix version of “Gangnam Style,” and decided to join the revellers, Jerusalem Post reported. The video of the revelry, which was broadcast on Israeli television and later hit the Internet, shows an armed soldier sitting on top of a Palestinian partygoer, and another fist-pumping on the dance floor.

The soldiers have since been suspended from duty until the end of the investigation, and according to reports, the Israeli military said, on Thursday, that the soldiers have been disciplined.

"The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) views this as a serious incident. The soldiers exposed themselves to unnecessary danger and were disciplined accordingly," the Israeli army said in a statement.

But, social media users were quick to praise Psy for the role his music played in bringing members of two warring countries onto the same dance floor.

“Maybe Psy shud negotiate peace,” Kim Ghattas, a BBC correspondent, wrote on her Twitter account, adding that, “more ppl in West shud watch this, it's a challenge to misconceptions abt Palestinians.”

Alex Rowell, another Twitter user, wrote: “Psy has done the impossible: Palestinian youths dance, rejoice with armed & uniformed IDF soldiers in #Hebron.”

An editorial in The Guardian too argued that the soldiers should be praised for joining in the celebration, for it does "a great deal for proving to both sides that there is an alternative to constant trepidation and hatred."

Earlier this year, a group of Israeli female soldiers landed in trouble after racy photographs of them dressed in combat gear appeared on Facebook.