Police deny ex-chief’s ‘delusional’ claim that officers have protest arrest quotas

By Sam Sokol 26 December 2024, 9:25 pm

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Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Police detain a protester demonstrating in favor of a hostage deal with Hamas outside the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, September 7, 2024. (Gili Yaari /FLASH90)

The Israel Police deny former police chief Roni Alsheich’s “delusional claim” that officers have been given arrest quotas for the number of people that should be detained at protests.

“The Israel Police is an apolitical body that carries out all of its responsibilities for the peace, security and quality of life of the public,” a spokesman tells The Times of Israel in a statement.

“The delusional claim that during demonstrations, police officers arrive with an arrest quota is devoid of any factual basis or basis in reality, and we deny the statements made by the former police commissioner.”

Speaking with the Kan public broadcaster, Alsheich asserted that the force has become politicized and that officers had told him they had been assigned such quotas.

“I hear from officers that they come to a demonstration with a quota of detainees,” he said, apparently referring to demonstrations against government policy. “I shudder when I say that. Beyond the fact that it is clearly illegal, it does not serve anyone,” he says. “Something bad is happening and I don’t know where exactly it is coming from but it’s coming from above.”