Lawmakers condemn video of senior police officer striking protesters

Several lawmakers criticize police over their conduct during a tense demonstration this evening against Prime Minister Netanyahu outside his official residence in Jerusalem.

Intelligence Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen of the Blue and White party calls for a probe after a senior officer was filmed striking protesters. Police say the officer, Chief Superintendent Niso Guetta, was attacked by one of the protesters.

“Power is responsibility, not lawlessness!” she tweets.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid also appears to weigh in on the incident.

“The protesters in the most just protests in the history of the country can’t suffer from police violence. This can’t be allowed to happen and we’ll demand a quick and decisive investigation of this evening’s events in Jerusalem,” Lapid, who heads the Yesh Atid party, writes on Twitter.

Labor MK Merav Michaeli also weighs in.

“When the police are required to work for Netanyahu instead of the public, this mistake happens,” she writes in a tweet that includes video of the incident.

She adds: “The role of the police is to guard the public and the wellbeing of the public, not to be an authority the public fears. Netanyahu has no expectations of the public but dear police officers, if the public despairs of you, it will be very bad.”