MK (Bayit Yehudi) Moti Yogev is calling on Israel Police Chief Yochanan Danino to resign in light of the use of stun grenades against members of the Israeli Ethiopian community protesting in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening 14 Iyar. Yogev explains that the police chief who confronted violence in the eastern capital and on Har Habayis and uses grenades in Tel Aviv must step down. He explained that the time has come for Israel Police to move to the “post Danino era”.
Yogev explains that for the past half year he has been warning about excessive police force against Ethiopian youths, yet Danino and his senior command failed to heed the warning. Yogev explains that he called on Danino to instruct his Chief of Operations to compel commanders to take sensitivity training and learn how to address young members of the Israeli Ethiopian community.
The MK added that Danino’s successor has his work cut out for him as he will have to bring the department back to a force that maintains law and order; build relations with the Israeli Ethiopian community and addressing Arab terrorism. He insists the entire senior Israel Police command must learn once and for all how to address the Israeli Ethiopian community.
Echoing Yogev’s words is Avi Naim, the head of the Security Committee in the Union of Local Authorities as well as serving as the head of the Beit Aryeh Council. He rejects the violence exhibited by police against unarmed protesters as well as “the lack of restraint”.
Naim is calling for a major broad-sweeping reform of Israel Police so it is understood brutality and unjustified force is unacceptable in a democratic society. He calls the use of stun grenades in the midst of Tel Aviv “unacceptable” and wants the commanders responsible held accountable.
“It is not too much to expect that police to maintain order and use discretion rather than not using disproportionate violence against protesters without provocation but to use necessary means. Unfortunately there are many cases in which police officers do not use judgment. This has become a trend and there is need for widespread reform indicating the need for reforming Israel Police to its core” stated Naim.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
MK (Bayit Yehudi) Moti Yogev is right in calling on Israel Police Chief Yochanan Danino to resign, but not for the reasons he posits. A Police Chief who allows a demonstration to turn into a riot should hand over the reins of power to someone who will not hesitate to use whatever force is needed to quash rioters. If there are broken bones or worse, the responsibility rests on the heads of those who organised the riot. Quite ridiculous that large parts of Tel Aviv were closed down. I notice there is not a word of criticism of those who overturned police vehicles and set them on fire. Obviously more stun grenades were needed not less.
He explained that the time has come for Israel Police to move to the “post Danino era”
Yeh, right. They said the same thing after the the 3 Kedoshim were murdered last year. Israel is the only “free” country in the world where no one EVER gets fired from a Government position, EVER! You could be the most incompetent corrupt buffoon and cost innocent Israelis their lives, but you are guaranteed a lifetime contract! Sick! (Unless you’re Charedie, of course)
They should give them lessons how to handle religious people as well. And put their concentration on protecting their citizens from Arabs as opposed to giving tickets for silly things and harassing yeshivos.
Israel police can’t beat arabs so they choose Eithopians and Haredi
Danino has in the past been problematic, but here he seemed to follow the appropriate ‘middle ground’ between crushing the rioters and giving them free reign.
YITZCHOKY: They are non-discriminatory. They’ll beat anyone and have.