Monday, June 13, 2022, 8:50 Two days after a look-out point and a pergola were built just outside of Ma’aleh Levona in memory of Rina Shnerb, Hy”d,Yassam (Special Forces), border police, and Civil Administration forces destroyed the site. In a video clip (see below) documenting the incident, a policeman is seen threatening a minor that if she does not leave the site, he will break her arm. The disturbing footage is supported by eyewitness claims of police brutality, and a 14-year-old girl’s arm was badly injured. Medical personnel who arrived on the scene were blocked by policemen who did not allow them to treat the girl and the other injured individuals.
Two detained minors were caused great pain by being illegally handcuffed behind their backs for over four hours. They were detained at the police station until 22:30, and not allowed to speak to an attorney for a long time. Honenu Attorney Nati Rom, who is representing the minors, stated that he intends to file a complaint against the policemen with the Police Investigation Unit (PIU) for illegal use of handcuffing and disproportional use of force. Civil suits against the policemen for brutality are also planned. The minors have also been banned from entering the site of the incident for 15 days.
Honenu Attorney Nati Rom: “This was a planned destruction of a small pergola. During the destruction, two minors were detained for insulting a policeman, disturbing a policeman in the line of duty, and assaulting a policeman. It is astonishing to see how teams of Yassam and border police, protected from head to toe, brutally treated minors, and yet these girls, the minors, were accused of assaulting policemen.
“In the video clip, one can clearly see that the security forces were attacking and threatening. We will file a complaint with the PIU as soon as possible. Policemen from the various stations in the Yehuda and Shomron District must be required to stop their strong-arm tactics against residents, especially minors. Other sectors are not subjected to this treatment. This determination should be reserved for genuine criminals and terrorists who are currently being treated with kid gloves.”
Minor girls brutally detained; Video credit: Honenu