Campaign Against Police Brutality in Israel Round-Up
Two Policemen Guilty of Brutality
Officer Eran Naim was caught on tape motioning to his colleagues to help beat the demonstrator, after which they sit on him and stick their fingers in his nose and mouth, causing extensive bleeding and facial injuries. Naim is also seen beating 58-year-old Rabbi Yisrael Katz, after the Rabbi appealed to him to refrain from beating girls present at the road-blocking.
Lerner said he heard someone call out, "Photographer!" and that when he turned around, he saw three policemen sitting on Vitkin, bending his arms, and putting handcuffs on him. The policeman who was wearing an ID tag with the name Eliran Avraham tried to prevent me from taking the pictures. He pushed me and kept on turning my camera away and threatened to arrest me.
Through the screen of my camera I saw the officer, wearing a name tag with the name Eran Naim, go behind the demonstrator, go on top of him, and stick his full hand towards his face. He stuck his fingers into the man's nostrils and pulled upwards and backwards in a fast and professional way, and tore his whole face, including a blow at his eyes."
"The policemen immediately picked up the wounded demonstrator and arrested him, while he was dripping blood. His head, nose and eyes were almost totally covered with blood... No one else filmed this very difficult scene. But what worries me more than anything is that I gave the material to the three main television channels - Channel 1 (Israel Broadcasting Authority), Channel Two and Channel Ten - but some of the reporters told me, off the record, that it was a waste of effort because their editors would not approve it..."
Amona Victim Suing State and Police for $250,000
he family of Yechiam Eyal, a 15-year-old who was severely injured by club-wielding mounted police in Amona last year, is suing the government for $250,000 in damages. He was beaten repeatedly with a club to the head by Yassam riot police, cracking his skull. According to medical reports, he was in critical condition, and stopped breathing and lost heartbeat in the ambulance on the way to the hospital after finally being evicted from the rooftop.
Though clinically dead, the ambulance crew took life-support measures and managed to revive the boy. He was treated in the Intensive Care Unit and eventually discharged, but with health problems that accompany him to this day.
"My son did not deserve a death sentence, even if he was where he did not belong," Yechiam’s father told B’Sheva newspaper. "Police used a government authority to punish him brutally and the government must be punished," he added.