Police Chief Backs Bnei Brak Station Commander After Protest Clash

Israel Police said on Tuesday that Commissioner Dani Levy is backing Bnei Brak station commander Supt. Yuvval Shavit after a confrontation during an illegal protest near Bnei Brak. According to the police statement, Levy spoke with the district commander and station commander, heard their account of the incident, and accepted their view that the event was serious. He also ordered a professional review of the police handling.

The statement came after Public Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sent Levy a letter saying he was considering permanently removing the station commander, whom he said was filmed tearing the clothes of one of the protesters. Ben Gvir’s move intensified an already tense dispute between the minister and the police leadership.

The unrest took place last Wednesday on Highway 4 near Bnei Brak, where dozens of ultra-Orthodox demonstrators blocked traffic in protest over the arrest of draft evaders. The protesters belonged to an extreme faction within the Jerusalem Faction and tried to close lanes during the morning rush hour at the city entrance.

Police were dispatched to stop the blockade and push the demonstrators off the road. During the operation, Shavit was filmed dragging a protester, footage that triggered the public controversy now under internal police review.