Police says they will investigate why a damaging internal police video of anti-government protest leader Amir Haskel was leaked to the media, after it emerged the footage was filmed by a policeman for documenting purposes.
Haskel has been in hot water, and accused of racism, for comments he made to an Ethiopian Israeli policewoman while being arrested in August. In the video, Haskel, surrounded by police, turned to a policewoman of Ethiopian origin and shouted “I brought your parents here from Ethiopia, aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”
Acting police chief Motti Cohen now rejects accusations police are attempting to delegitimize the protests through the release of the video.
Former Israeli Air Force general and leading critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Brig. Gen. Amir Haskel in Tel Aviv, on June 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
“The police is not a political body!” he says in a statement. “Claims officials acted out of improper interests are divorced from reality!”
Demonstrators have accused the force of often using disproportionate force against the rallies, supposedly under the direction of Public Security Minister Amir Ohana, a top ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Police officials have rejected taking any sides on the matter.
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