Al-Jazeera Video: US cable tells of Israel's 'harsh measures'

"US government officials have been well aware of Israel's harsh methods of dealing with peaceful protests in the occupied Palestinian territory of West Bank for quite some time, according to a recently leaked WikiLeaks diplomatic cable.

A cable from the embassy in Tel Aviv from February 16, 2010, reveals the US ambassador to Israel noted that government officials considered any rally as grounds for use of military force.

Speaking in the context of the WikiLeaks revelations, Al Jazeera's Clayton Swisher said: "Just three weeks ago a bill was raised in the US congress by Senator Patrick Leahy to cut funding of Israeli military units engaged in documented human-rights abuses.

"Clearly, this would fit the bill, although anyone knowledgeable about American politics would tell you it stands very little chance of surviving a vote that would make it become a law.""