Police Commissioner Danny Levi issued his first statement Wednesday evening after videos emerged showing an officer kicking a Haredi protester during a demonstration on Highway 4. Levi said he ordered the immediate suspension of the officer pending investigation, adding that if commanders and officers acted against procedure, "we will not hesitate to deal severely."
Police Commissioner Danny Levi issued his first public statement on the Highway 4 incident at 21:21 Wednesday evening, ordering the immediate suspension of the officer filmed kicking a Haredi protester. The commissioner's directive confirms a suspension already ordered earlier by Tel Aviv District commander Deputy Commissioner Haim Sargrof, and elevates it to a department-wide standing. Levi stated that if videos show commanders and officers acted against procedure, the force will not hesitate to deal severely.
The thread opened at 21:21 Jerusalem with the same statement carried by a single news outlet (N12's Amit Segal), which reported that Levi had ordered the suspension. The desk's initial wire at 21:37 Jerusalem repeated that report. By 21:23 Jerusalem, commentator Avi Moskov had named the suspended officer on social media, adding public scrutiny. The current version (also 21:21 Jerusalem) re-casts the commissioner's statement as a direct response to video evidence and incorporates the earlier district-level suspension as a prior step.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Wednesday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said he spoke with Levi and is examining restrictions on stun grenade use. The protests are against the arrest of Haredi draft evaders, with the 'Jerusalem Faction' blocking Highway 4. Commentators including Yishai Cohen and Avi Moskov have accused police of selective and violent enforcement.
The commissioner's statement is the first official police acknowledgement of the incident. The officer's name has been published on social media but has not been confirmed by police. No details have been released about the protester's condition or whether further disciplinary steps beyond suspension are under consideration.
5 developments
- DevelopingTel Aviv district police chief suspends officer who kicked protester
- DevelopingAvi Moskov names officer suspended after Haredi protest controversy
- StrongDrivers lose patience, attack Haredi protesters on Highway 4
- StrongJournalist Yishai Cohen accuses police of selective, violent enforcement against Haredi protesters
Source and signal
- Internal intake