Tuesday, April 1, 2025, 16:57 In February 2023, border police officers and Civil Administration personnel destroyed a vineyard under Jewish ownership near Shilo, following a claim that it was situated on “private Palestinian land.” In light of recordings (see below) documenting officers beating people protesting the destruction of the vineyard, Honenu Attorney Eladi Weisel wrote a letter to Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai demanding that he immediately dismiss the offending border police officers. Attorney Weisel also sued police officers on behalf of an assaulted protester. Recently, the Jerusalem Magistrates Court court awarded the protester NIS 30,000 in a compromise agreement.
Police brutality during destruction of the vineyard; Video credit: Honenu
In the statement of claim, Attorney Weisel described the assault: “On February 15, 2023, border police officers arrived at a vineyard in the Shilo Bloc for the purpose of its destruction. Settlers came to the area of the vineyard to protest the destruction of the vineyard. They also attempted to delay the destruction until the legality of the action could be clarified by the political echelon. The complainant also arrived on the scene to protest the destruction. Border police officers applied brutal force upon the complainant. He was punched many times, including in his face, even after he had been removed [from the vineyard and taken] to the road. He was choked, kneed, and kicked, one time directly and powerfully in his face.”
He continued with a description of the severe brutality: “At first, one of the police officers choked the complainant as other police officers surrounding him kicked and punched his head and the rest of his body. Afterward, they threw him onto the road, and as he fell, suddenly another police officer appeared from the side and decided to ‘join the party.’ With no need, justification, or explicable connection, the police officer lifted his leg and kicked him powerfully and directly in his face. However, the brutality was not over yet. Even after the complainant was sprawled on and pinned to the ground, three police officers leaning over him continued to punch him hard and repeatedly in the head.”
Attorney Weisel issued a statement: “We expect the Israel Police to draw the correct conclusions and act immediately to put an end to the brutal treatment of Yehuda and Shomron residents. The police must not be allowed to continue discriminatory practices. The police show great tolerance to demonstrators who block streets in Jerusalem day and night and prevent elected officials from entering the Knesset building. But Yehuda and Shomron residents remain supposedly legitimate targets for unrestrained police brutality.”
Police brutality during destruction of the vineyard; Video credit: Honenu