Police detain far-right provocateur seen harassing Arab journalist Lucy Aharish

Police have detained far-right provocateur Mordechai David after he harassed Arab Israeli journalist Lucy Aharish and her partner, Tsahi Halevi, while they left the Tel Aviv District Court.

Footage of the incident this morning shows a group of civilian volunteers forming a circle around the news presenter and her husband as they exit the courtroom and walk out the door to catch a taxi, while David and several right-wing activists hound the pair.

After David follows the couple for several minutes, officers are seen taking him to a police car.

According to the Civil Support, a group of activists who came to the courthouse to guard Aharish, police detained David and took him to the police station for questioning.

Police do not immediately respond to a request for comment.

מרדכי דוד נלקח לתחנת המשטרה.
צילום: עפרי איתן pic.twitter.com/cnN4CniyO7

— הסיוע האזרחי (@civil_support1) June 15, 2026

David, who serially harasses left-wing and liberal journalists and public figures, has been targeting Aharish for months now, and was subject to a temporary restraining order after showing up on her doorstep in February alongside more than a dozen other right-wing agitators.

ِAharish and her partner arrived in court for a hearing on an appeal filed by Likud activist Rami Ben-Yehuda in Aharish’s ongoing lawsuit against him, the right-wing Channel 14 outlet reports. In March, Aharish sued Ben-Yehuda, David’s fellow activist, accusing him of leading a harassment campaign against her, and demanding 2.6 million NIS ($840,000) compensation.