Complaint filed against abusive Arab policeman

Honenu Attorney Menashe Yado; Photo credit: Honenu

Monday, January 18, 2021, 13:49 In a letter to the Jerusalem District Police Commander, Honenu Attorney Menashe Yado requested an urgent disciplinary inquiry of a policeman who made racist statements to detainees. “Honenu received five simultaneous complaints about the policeman in question, the details of which will follow. The complaints are of physical brutality, verbal abuse, and actions deviating from his authority and/or reasonableness,” wrote Yado, who also informed the commander that he would file a complaint with the Police Investigation Unit and the Public Complaints Officer.
In his urgent letter, Yado described the conduct of the policeman: “Beyond the complaints about physical violence and verbal abuse, one of the complainants claimed that the defendant confronted him with nationalistic expressions, as follows: ‘Arabs are scary, aren’t they’, ‘Isn’t it funny that an Arab caught a Jew and the Arab is stronger?’
“The defendant repeated these statements several times. Antisemitic Arabic nationalistic statements should not be heard from someone wearing an Israeli Police uniform. With all due respect, a police uniform and the authority of the police should not serve as a cover for nationalistic expressions.
“The incident takes on added importance as at this time hundreds of religious youths are filling the streets in demonstrations protesting the death of Ahuvia Sandak, z”l. The demonstrators should not suffer nationalist insults, with racist and humiliating overtones, from Arab policemen.”
The letter concluded: “We are of the opinion that the matter necessitates immediate examination and treatment at the level of the [defendant’s] unit and up, including taking action against the defendant and clarifying regulations at a general level.”
Honenu Attorney Menashe Yado: “The Arab policeman wears an Israeli Police uniform and is obligated to act accordingly. Hurtful statements such as these must be condemned and his commanders are obligated to take care of the matter.”

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