7 arrested at Jerusalem protest over settler teen’s death in police chase
Nationalist activists block entrance to capital before being cleared from road by cops, following recent decision to close probe of officers involved in 2020 incident
Dozens of nationalist activists blocked the entrance to Jerusalem on Saturday night, protesting the closure of an investigation of police officers who were involved in a car chase over a year ago which led to the death of a settler teen.
Police said seven people — who were demanding justice in the 2020 death of Ahuvia Sandak — were arrested on suspicion of public disorder.
Officers cleared the protesters to reopen the road, police said.
The protests were the latest to be held since Sandak, 16, was killed in a crash while fleeing from police in December 2020, allegedly after throwing rocks at Palestinians. The frequent demonstrations have escalated into violence and arrests.
Right-wing activists have accused police of responsibility for his death, claiming they caused the car crash during the chase.
Last month, then-attorney general Avichai Mandelblit closed a probe of the officers, finding no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/kE3PfXJH-U4CTA3JQ
Sandak’s parents slammed Mandelblit’s decision to close the case, calling it a “stab in the heart.” The family’s lawyer alleged that the head of the Police Internal Investigations Department — a Justice Ministry body that probes alleged police wrongdoing — intervened in the investigation, releasing the officers involved, and thus allowing them to “coordinate their story.”
A statement from Mandelblit’s office said the evidence in the case showed police were justified in chasing after the car carrying Sandak, a resident of the West Bank settlement of Bat Ayin, and four other young settlers, and that there were no grounds for claiming officers intentionally rammed the vehicle.
The statement added that it could not be clearly determined which car swerved, leading to the crash in which the car carrying Sandak flipped over.
A television report last month said Mandelblit was likely to decide on filing charges against the four others, though he did not announce such a decision before leaving office at the end of January.
According to Channel 12 news, authorities believe they have strong evidence that the settler teens, Sandak among them, donned masks and hurled rocks at Palestinian vehicles prior to the chase.
The report further said police expect a decision to indict the four will lead to an escalation in right-wing protests and clashes with police over the affair.
The Times of Israel Community.