Police Under Scrutiny for Grenade Use in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim

Video footage released Monday from Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighborhood shows police officers deploying a stun grenade in a narrow alleyway, which explodes near civilians. The incident occurred during several hours of riots in the area, during which police stated they were removing Palestinian flags and graffiti. Police claim stones and objects were thrown at officers during the operation, and three suspects were arrested. The footage, however, raises questions about the police's adherence to their own updated regulations regarding the use of stun grenades. The current directive, revised in May 2025, prohibits deploying a stun grenade within five meters of demonstrators and requires special caution in areas with children and the elderly. This is a significant increase from the previous guideline of one meter "if possible," a change made in response to public and legal criticism. In a narrow alley like those in Mea Shearim, this five-meter rule presents practical challenges, and the video casts doubt on whether it was observed. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel previously contacted the police commissioner and legal advisor in June regarding stun grenade use in Haredi protests, alleging that grenades were thrown into dense crowds, including near children, in violation of the five-meter rule. Internally, the police have acknowledged that violent disturbances do not automatically justify all uses of stun grenades. Earlier this year, three officers faced disciplinary action for deploying stun grenades into crowded protests in Tel Aviv, with one officer, Superintendent Meir Sweisa, admitting to recklessness. While his criminal conviction was later overturned, the case highlighted the legal scrutiny applied to the method of grenade deployment, not just the authority to use them. The incident in Mea Shearim also brings to mind a 2020 incident where a nine-year-old girl was injured by a stun grenade that bounced off a sidewalk and hit her. Police acknowledged they had not seen the child and her mother at the time. Although no criminal charges were filed, the incident prompted a review of procedures for using stun grenades near civilian populations. Despite updated regulations and past incidents, the recent footage from Mea Shearim is concerning because it suggests a potential disregard for rules designed to prevent harm to civilians in densely populated areas, even when police are responding to violence.