MK (Arab List) Ayman Odeh confronted police and was quite disrespectful to put it mildly. Odeh, who is chairman of the Arab List in Knesset, ran towards police on Shavuos in Haifa after being prevented from visiting a protester who was injured while demonstrating against confrontations between Gazans and the IDF along the Gaza border. He cursed the police and became extremely agitated as he shouted at them.

The policeman who was the recipient of his wrath filed a complaint against MK Odeh for violating the law by insulting a public official. However, because he is a MK, an investigation will not begin until Attorney General Mandelblit gives the word.

Police said last night: “We see with severity any attempt to harm the policeman, insult him and interfere with the performance of his duties.”

“Any attempt to harm the public order and routine of movement, as well as the special fabric of life in the city, will receive an immediate response to bring about a cessation.” The police added that the arrests were carried out after the demonstrators broke the order and destroyed public property.

Odeh wrote on his Facebook page after the incident: “This is how the police act in a hospital, where Ja’far Farah, the director of the Mossawa Center, was shackled with handcuffs after breaking his leg during the arrest. What is he under arrest for? Why is he shackled when he is hospitalized? And why are we being prevented from asking the doctors about him? Soon we will demonstrate in front of the police station against its fascist activities. But the police are only a tool in the hands of the government and its leader who lead a policy of criminal incitement against us.”

Police Chief Roni Alshich describes the violence in Haifa as a “battle field”, adding many were injured as a result. He added the Justice Ministry’s Police Investigation’s Unit will probe what occurred by there should not be violence against police either.

Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan on Sunday evening sent a letter to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit calling to launch an investigation against MK Odeh Hyman.

Erdan explained it is unacceptable for a ruling Member of Knesset to launch such an attack against a policeman, calling for a criminal investigation against him.

He points out in his letter that Hyman interfered with the officer performing his duties as well as cursing him and insulting a public official, which is a violation of the law.

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman responded harshly by saying “the place for such terrorists is not Knesset, but prison”.

In his twitter post, Defense Minister Lieberman tweeted, “Each day Hyman and his partners move around freely and curse police, is a failure on the part of enforcement agencies. According to him, the place for these terrorists is not in Knesset but in jail. The time has come for them to pay the price of their actions”.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)