Attorney-General asks Knesset to increase police search authorities
New bill will allow cops to frisk anybody, not just suspects
Yifa Yaakov is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
In a bid to break the recent wave of street violence, Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein on Thursday urged the Knesset to hasten the passing of a bill granting the police the authority to search the body and belongings of individuals who have not been accused of committing a crime.
Today, police can only search those who are suspected of a criminal offense, but the mounting violence in recent weeks has given rise to the concern that when it comes to preventing deadly outbreaks of violence in the streets, the police’s hands are tied.
On Thursday, 18-year-old Eden Ohayon was indicted for the murder of 35-year-old Gadi Vichman. The killing, which happened late at night in full view of Vichman’s wife and daughter, followed Vichman’s request that Ohayon and his friends, who were making noise outside his
home, be quiet. Ohayon pulled a kitchen knife out of his pants and stab Vichman in the chest.
If approved, the bill will grant the police the authority to search for knives and other weapons in pre-determined areas such as crowded areas, nightlife centers and areas with a high crime rate. According to Weinstein, this will improve the police’s ability to prevent murder and other violent crime.
“The bill aims to increase the public’s feeling of personal safety by increasing the Israel Police’s ability to prevent violence. This includes the ability to conduct body searches, to search clothes and in some cases, personal belongings, if there is genuine concern that violence may ensue,” wrote Weinstein in his letter to chairman of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, David Rotem (Yisrael Beytenu).
Weinstein added that he began to promote the bill in light of the increase of knifing incidents in Israel, mostly in nightlife centers. He stated that he had also discussed the matter with Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino.
