With six days remaining to the elections for 20th Knesset, Walla News reports on Tuesday, 20 Adar, that Shai Police moved ahead with a serious criminal indictment against Baruch Marzel. Marzel holds the number four slot on the Yachad party list.

The indictment filed with the Jerusalem Magistrate Court alleges that in 2013, Marzel violently attacked an Arab.

According to the indictment, on February 8, 2013, during the evening hours, Issa Omru sat in his Hebron home and was drinking tea along with a number of friends. At some point, Marzel passed near the home with a number of his friends on their way to tefilla in the Machpelah. According to the indictment, Marzel decided to enter the yard of the home as Issa and the others instructed him to leave.

In response, Marzel allegedly began striking Issa and he punched him in his face. Issa pushed him away and out of the yard and began calling for IDF soldiers nearby. A soldier by the name of Eyal Tibi arrived. The soldier separated the two but even then Marzel kicked Issa. There were a number of additional rounds of kicking and punching according to the indictment.

In response to the indictment Marzel stated, “The timing of police vis-à-vis elections is outstanding. It proves our allegations that police are politically motivated and controlled, to hound and chase settlers and right-wingers. There are elements that will stop at nothing to prevent me from entering Knesset, but this time, on the 18th of the month I will be a Member of Knesset and work on behalf of Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael. Amazingly, regarding Hanin Zoabi an indictment is still pending despite all of her harsh activities but on the other hand, when it comes to me, there is a very light trigger finger”.

He added it is a meaningless complaint “from a criminal that even [the] B’Tselem [human rights organization] would not address”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)