Israeli opposition leader calls for creation of program to monitor police violence

Opposition leader Yair Lapid announced on Sunday the establishment of a “documentation center” for police violence. Earlier, a widely circulated video showed police violently arresting a 74-year-old doctor as he treated an injured protester at an anti-government rally in Tel Aviv.

Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party in the Knesset, condemned the incident on the social media platform X and criticized Israel’s far-right security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who is in charge of law enforcement policy. “This is not Ben Gvir’s police, but that of the citizens of Israel,” Lapid said.

He called for an investigation into the incident, pointing out that the doctor was clearly identified as a medical professional. Social media posts confirm Lapid’s account, showing Dr. Udi Baharav being brutally restrained while wearing an orange emergency vest. In his post, Lapid provided an email address where individuals can submit evidence of police brutality.

The leader of the National Unity Party, Benny Gantz, also condemned the police’s conduct and called for an investigation. Police reported that 33 protesters were arrested during the demonstrations in Tel Aviv on Saturday.