Israel Matzav

Police brutality in Israel

There are two disturbing stories today about police brutality in Israel. One is about Niso Shaham, the southern district police commander, who was caught on camera during the expulsion of Gaza's Jews two years ago saying "Hit [the protesters] with clubs, if necessary, and aim low... S**t on them. Let them burn." (Sorry, no English translation in this video):



Today, the High Court of (In)Justice approved his promotion to Jerusalem District Police commander.

After his remarks were broadcast by Channel 10 news, Shaham issued an apology in which he said, "I did say the things attributed to me. They were directed only at those exceptions who threatened to break through and attack the rule of law and the police. You must judge the affair by its results. All of the police who were in the field, including me, were very tolerant. I am sorry for the uncharacteristic statement I made in difficult circumstances. That is not my style."

After the incident, Shaham was brought before then-Israel Police inspector-general Moshe Karadi in a disciplinary court, where he was reprimanded and docked six days' pay.

His appointment as deputy Jerusalem District commander was his first promotion since those events.

Two petitioners, attorney Dror Schossheim and the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel, petitioned the High Court against the appointment.

In rejecting the petitions, Justice Ayala Procaccia wrote that the current Police inspector-general, David Cohen, and Public Security Minister Avi Dichter had weighed all the factors for and against Shaham's promotion. "They decided that the proper balancing point justified Shaham's appointment after tallying up the points in his favor and against, giving each its proper weight. The appointment meets the test of reasonability and therefore the court should not intervene."

But then we all know that Procaccia is a member in good standing of the Branja:

Afterward, the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel issued a statement charging that while Procaccia treated Shaham with mercy, she was the same justice who had ordered a 14-year-old female anti-disengagement protester to remain in jail for 40 days. "It is good that the court can be capable of mercy," the Forum wrote. "Too bad it is sometimes one-sided."

Sometimes?

The second story about police brutality involves an attempt by Jews to resettle the town of Homesh from the Sharon-Olmert government expelled them two years ago. You remember Homesh, right?

Hazani and others alleged the police hit the protesters and in some cases grabbed digital cameras and removed the memory cards to eliminate evidence of their deeds.

"They [police] were violent and hit the young women who were there," Hazani said.

When security forces surrounded the protesters, Hazani said, they forced them into over-crowded all-terrain buses and dropped them off at random West Bank locations.

Nice, huh?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:11 PM