Jaffa Leaders Condemn Police Assault on Priest, Call for Unity

An emergency meeting was held in Jaffa on Monday following an alleged assault by Israeli police on Priest Constantine last Friday. The priest stated that police officers stopped young men in the city and issued citations even when no violations occurred. When he intervened to prevent the harsh treatment of a youth, he was reportedly assaulted, arrested, and taken to a police station in Tel Aviv without cause.

Priest Constantine recounted that he was injured due to reckless driving while in the police vehicle and subjected to verbal abuse. He was detained for hours, and his release only came after pressure was applied, despite identifying himself as a priest. He described the police actions as "barbaric" and "brutal," emphasizing a preference for peaceful and civilized law enforcement over excessive violence.

The meeting, held at the Association for the Care of Association Affairs headquarters, was attended by local residents, activists, and religious and political figures, including the head of the elected Islamic Authority in Jaffa, Abdel Qader Abu Shahada. Abu Shahada condemned the incident as a serious escalation targeting all segments of Jaffa's society and part of a pattern of ongoing police misconduct.

Omar Siksik, head of the Association, opened the meeting by denouncing the "dangerous assault" on the priest and the police's "brutal actions." Abu Shahada called for unity among the community to confront what he termed "racist schemes" and "extremism" by the police and the state, urging a setting aside of differences to counter these perceived plans.

The incident follows other recent events in Jaffa, including confrontations after Omar Siksik was allegedly assaulted while documenting the tearing of children's photos from Gaza, and the arrest of a youth suspected of vandalism at St. Anthony's Church.