Slippery Slope

Two of the detainees from last night’s events at Joseph’s Tomb complained that Border Policemen used violent force against them -clubbing with batons and use of pepper spray.

Magav (Border Patrol) officers have injured an 11 years old child of the village Burin with tear gas, during confrontation between Burin Palestinians and illegal settlement Givat-Ronen settlers. It was reported later, that police came to the the illegal residence to collect the weapons from the settlers, but the latter refused to hand them over to the police.

Yitzchak Aharonovich, Minister of Interior Security, used his department’s budget to finance a trip to Paris for a police headquarters’ officer personnaly closed to him, after a police committee banned him from travel using external funding and demanded that the Minister be accompanied by a beat officer.

(Hebrew)

Tires were burned and Arab cars stoned on Gilad road, near the Gilad Ranch. Masked men went into the village of Assira Al-Kibaliyah near Yitzhar, uprooted plants, threw stones at houses and set fire to a cement mixer. Border Patrol forces that arrived at the scene were blocked at the gate, and later a Border Patrol vehicle that entered the settlement had its tire punctured.

(Hebrew)

Fighting broke out tonight between residents of the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan and police and border patrol forces. Palestinians report that the clashes began after border patrolmen entered a home and beat an elderly woman. Following this, dozens of youths threw stones at the patrol station, and the patrolmen escaped, leaving a box of ammunition. After the Jerusalem police headquarters noticed the missing box of ammunition, large forces entered the neighborhood. Palestinian reports show that the police broke into homes, beat residents, caused damage, confiscated property without search warrants, and arrested nine residents of the neighborhood.

(Hebrew)

The police has stationed a squadron of approximately 30 Border Patrol staff in Qiryat Gat following a number of violent events in that city. Unusually, the police refrained from providing media with reports about the violent incidents, and when asked by reporters, it has also denied the information. (Hebrew)

Border Patrol policemen pepper-sprayed passengers on a bus from the Issawiya neighborhood in Occupied East Jerusalem, after a conflict developed between them and the passengers. The policemen boarded the bus to check for ID cards, and demanded a card from a 14-year old boy, too. The boy, who stated that ID cards are not issued for people of his age, refused to the policeman’s demand that he get off the bus, claiming that if he would do so, he would be late for school. The police stated in response that “under the age of 16 a birth certificate must be presented” and that the dispute between the policemen and residents continued outside the bus, as well, and involved dozens of local residents. (Hebrew)

Israel Land Administration (ILA) and Border Patrol forces demolished a significant part of the Neighborhood 68, on Helen Keller street, Lod. More than 80 people, including 51 children, were made homeless. No alternative accommodation was provided, despite the heavy rains. The demolition orders were issued at 2 a.m. by court order, pursuant to the claim that the homes were constructed illegally on ILA lands. Seven households were destroyed, sewage infrastructure was torn out of the ground, and water and electricity connections disconnected. (Hebrew)

The Samaria-Judea District of the police has recommended not to prosecute Border Patrol policemen who shot left-wing demonstrator Emily Henochowitz in the eye half a year ago, in Qalandyia. Henochowitz was wounded by a gas cannister shot by a Border Patrol soldier. Her family claims that she was targeted directly, in violation of orders. Adv. Michael Sfard, who represents the family, claims that the police investigators were negligent in their work. He claims that no testimony was collected from eye-witnesses, including the Haaretz journalism team, which photographed it as it occurred. Sfard stated that “the J-S district police is the Border Patrol’s waste-treatment plant [sic]. Every investigation of a killing or wounding ends up smelling of no guilt. This case proves that the negligence borders on cover-up. Anyone who thinks that there is no need to investigate objective eye-witnesses who stated that the Border Patrol policeman aimed directly is obstructing the investigation and admitting that it has no intention of discovering the truth.” (Hebrew)

Piras Alziadana, Border Patrol policeman, is accused along with a civilian of robbing 15 laborers at the Rahat Industrial Zone. The two are charged with robbery, aggravated assault, sexual misconduct, and abuse of official powers (Hebrew).