Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court has ordered the police to pay 48,000 shekels to a young man who was assaulted by a Border Police officer during Jerusalem’s Flag Dance event about five years ago, then falsely accused of attacking the officer and detained for 48 hours. The plaintiff, who was under 17 at the time and had no criminal record, was represented by attorney Menashe Yaado of the Honenu organization.
According to the lawsuit, the teen was standing with a group of youths near Damascus Gate and was following police instructions to leave the area. Despite that, a Border Police officer began pushing him without justification. When the boy grabbed a fence to avoid falling and asked the officer to stop, the officer seized his head and smashed it twice into the helmet fastened to the officer’s body. The teen suffered an eye injury and needed hospital treatment.
The officer later claimed the teen had attacked him, a version the court rejected after reviewing video footage of the full incident. The judge found that the officer had behaved in a very serious manner, injured the plaintiff, and then falsely accused him in an attempt to retroactively justify unlawful force. The court also noted that the officer’s body camera was not activated, contrary to procedure.
The claim also criticized the Police Internal Investigations Department, known as Mabat, for not opening a criminal investigation despite a complaint, witness accounts, and exculpatory video showing the officer had lied. The false criminal record harmed the young man’s life and even prevented him from obtaining occupational licenses. The compensation includes 30,000 shekels for the wrongful detention, 10,000 shekels for the physical injury, and 8,000 shekels in legal costs.
