Contradicting Ben Gvir, Israel Police chief backs officers criticized for treatment of Haredi protesters

Police chief Danny Levy comes out in support of police officers who dealt roughly with Haredi protesters during a demonstration last week, rebuffing National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s threat to fire the Bnei Brak police station chief.

Station commander Ch. Supt. Yuval Shavit was one of several officers filmed grabbing Haredi protesters by their legs, ripping their pants and dragging them by their ankles to the side of the highway during a Wednesday demonstration against ultra-Orthodox conscription.

After meeting with Shavit, Levy concludes that “significant police action” was needed to restore public order during the early morning protest, in which hundreds of Haredi anti-draft demonstrators blocked traffic on Route 4.

“Given the circumstances of the serious incident, during which a major traffic route was blocked early in the morning, [causing] public disturbance and harming the daily lives of tens of thousands of citizens, significant police action was required,” police say in a statement communicating Levy’s position.

The commissioner expressed his “appreciation and support” for the police officers working to “preserve public order, involving decision-making in real time in a complex operational reality, and will continue to stand by their side,” the statement continues.

This morning, Ben Gvir sent a letter to Levy threatening Shavit’s dismissal after footage spread online showing the police station chief dragging a protester by the ankles after having torn his trousers.

The far-right minister’s criticism of police’s violent dispersal last week, in which officers injured eight Haredi demonstrators with stun grenades and batons, stands in stark contrast to his past support for the same measures against anti-government protesters.