An Israel Police officer who was filmed kicking a protester during a Haredi protest on Route 4 was suspended immediately from operational duty pending an inquiry into the incident. The decision was made by Tel Aviv District Commander Haim Sargarof after videos circulated online from tense scenes near Bnei Brak, where demonstrators blocked Route 4 and caused severe traffic disruptions in central Israel.
Police Commissioner Danny Levi said the force would not hesitate to act against officers who violated procedure. “If, after reviewing the videos from the protest at Bnei Brak junction, we learn that commanders and officers acted contrary to regulations, we will not hesitate to deal with it severely and suspend them from operational activity,” he said. “There were senior commanders at the protest, and I expect them to control the event.”
At the same time, police stressed that they view the conduct of the protesters very seriously. According to the force, the demonstrators held tens of thousands of drivers and civilians “hostage” in massive traffic jams, causing major damage to a main transport artery and a complete disruption of daily life. Police said that while the right to protest is fundamental, blocking major roads, harming freedom of movement and using severe violence is not protest but “anarchy.”
Police said officers met resistance and violence while clearing the road, leaving two officers injured and requiring medical treatment. Five people were arrested on suspicion of attacking police and disturbing the peace. The demonstrators, identified as an extremist group within the Jerusalem Faction, had arrived at Bnei Brak during the morning rush hour and tried to block traffic lanes. Police declared the rally unlawful, and Route 4 was closed in both directions from Ma'ale HaMoshavot Interchange to Aluf Sadeh Interchange, with drivers redirected to alternative routes.
Later in the day, thousands of Haredim from the Jerusalem Faction held a mass protest outside Military Prison 10 near Beit Lid against the arrest of yeshiva students classified as draft evaders and the transfer of detainees arrested at a protest outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg. Police estimated about 10,000 participants, including the Gerrer Rebbe.
