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Israeli police threaten to rape protester’s mother – Israel News

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The Justice Ministry’s police investigation department said it is investigating two cases of alleged police violence that occurred during protests on Saturday night and will contact those involved and ask them to file complaints.

The first incident being investigated by the PID is an “incident in which police officers allegedly attacked a protester in Jerusalem and a police officer was heard threatening him,” it said. Also being investigated is “the attack on Labor Knesset member Naama Lazimi in Tel Aviv,” the PID said.

Footage of the Jerusalem incident shows a police officer telling a protester that he was “raping your mother,” and further footage shows the protester being slammed against the hood of a police car by several police officers.

Police responded to the incident by saying that “the conduct of the officer at the scene does not conform to the standards of speech and conduct expected of any police officer,” adding that they would investigate the incident.

The police have not yet responded The Jerusalem PostQuestions about whether the police officer in question is carrying out his work as usual during the interrogation and what the status of the investigation is.

Israeli police arrest a demonstrator during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem on September 29, 2020. (Source: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)

Angry but undeterred

“We are very angry but not discouraged,” said the protest organization Changing Direction Sunday, adding that the demonstrator was “arrested with extreme violence.”

As shocking as the officer’s statement was, it is not the first time this year that police officers have made this statement at protests. One officer threatened protester Amitai Aboudi, whose violent arrest made headlines last summer, that he would rape his mother.

Commenting on the alleged attack on her on Saturday, Lazimi told X that police pulled her hair and strangled her. Police previously responded to X, saying Lazimi “obstructed the police officers from carrying out their duty by forcibly pushing herself between the police officers and preventing them from confiscating her mobile phone, as shown in the attached documentation.”

“In a democratic country, the police cannot simply take away a protester’s cell phone because they don’t like him,” Lazimi replied to X. It was absurd that the police spokesman justified the police officer who “violently and aggressively pulled her hair, grabbed her face and strangled her.”

“There are laws in Israel and although there is no executive power to defend the citizens of Israel, we will be their shield and you will not stop us from fulfilling this duty,” she said.

Labour leader Yair Golan also responded to X, saying: “The police violence this evening against MP Naama Lazimi, who defended the families of the hostages with her body, and the violence against protesters in Jerusalem cross a red line, are alarming and reminiscent of totalitarian regimes.”

“This is exactly what the politicization of the police by the criminal and terror supporter (National Security Minister Itamar) Ben-Gvir looks like.”

“The role of the police is to protect citizens, not to be a private militia of a convicted criminal and to beat citizens and oppositionists.”

Lidar Grave-Lazi and Jerusalem Post staff contributed to this report.



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