Ben Gvir assails justice officials for probing claims of police brutality at protests

27 July 2023, 9:09 pm

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Anti-judicial overhaul activists clash with police as they block Jerusalem's Begin Road, near the Knesset, on July 24, 2023. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir attacks the Police Internal Investigations Department for investigating alleged incidents of police violence toward protesters.

Ben Gvir, known for his desire for tough enforcement against demonstrators who block roads, accuses the PIID of “attempting to terrorize the head of Tel Aviv Police’s Special Patrol Unit, a decorated officer, just because he acted with determination to enforce the law.”

The officer in question, Yair Hanuna, has been accused by a teen protester of beating him during an arrest at Tuesday’s rally on the Ayalon Highway. One of the arresting officers also allegedly whispered in his ear, “I’ll rape your mother.”

Ben Gvir says he “backs the dedicated officer” and the rest of the Tel Aviv police force “in their important effort to prevent the ongoing disruption to public order that those behind the blockages seek.”

He also attacks the state prosecution, which oversees the PIID, alleging that it is “intentionally turning a blind eye to crime and winkingly encouraging public disturbances.”