Right-Wing Activists File Supreme Court Petition Over Alleged Political Bias in Compensation

The legal organization Honenu submitted a petition to Israel's Supreme Court on behalf of three right-wing activists who were subjected to unlawful strip searches. The petition alleges political discrimination by the prosecution in the compensation amounts offered to these activists compared to those given to left-wing activists. According to the petition, the prosecution agreed to a settlement with the three right-wing activists ranging from 8,000 to 20,000 shekels each for the unlawful searches. However, this amount is significantly lower than the 48,000 shekels each awarded last month to 13 left-wing activists from the "Kaplan detainees" group for similar violations.

The petition claims this disparity is unjustified and politically motivated, noting that the compensation for left-wing protesters is three to four times higher than the standard amounts typically granted in such cases, while right-wing protesters receive only a fraction of that. Honenu's attorney, Manshe Yado, reportedly contacted Deputy Attorney General for Civil Matters Eitan Lidak twice to request an explanation for the compensation gap. Lidak responded that due to privacy concerns, the specific circumstances justifying the differing compensation amounts could not be disclosed.

The petition calls on the Supreme Court to review the case and address the alleged unequal treatment by the prosecution based on political affiliation. This legal challenge highlights ongoing tensions over perceived political bias in law enforcement and judicial processes in Israel.