Beersheba Deputy Mayor Indicted for Assaulting Bedouin Workers While in Uniform

An indictment was filed on Tuesday against Shimon Tubul, the deputy mayor of Beersheba, for assaulting two Bedouin workers at a gas station in the village of Azazah in September 2024. Tubul, who was serving in the military reserves at the time, allegedly attacked one worker after he arrived playing loud Arabic music from his car. Security footage published by ynet shows Tubul physically assaulting the young man, a resident of one of the Bedouin villages in the Negev.

According to the indictment submitted by Attorney Avraham Biton from the Southern District Prosecutor's Office, Tubul confronted the worker, Maher Asraiya, inside the convenience store, demanding he turn off the music. When Asraiya questioned why, Tubul grabbed him by the neck, warned him not to play such music again, then punched and pushed him toward his car while brandishing his weapon. Tubul struck Asraiya again as he tried to enter his vehicle. Another worker, Ibrahim Abu Asa, who approached to ask what happened, was also pushed by Tubul and threatened with his weapon until bystanders and a soldier intervened.

Initially, Tubul denied being the soldier in the video but admitted it about two weeks later. Both workers rejected Tubul's claim that they had expressed hostility toward IDF soldiers. Abu Asa, a resident of Sderot, recounted being trapped in a safe room during the October 7 attack and expressed respect for the IDF. Asraiya's father is an IDF officer serving on the Egyptian border.

Tubul's defense attorneys argued the incident occurred under military circumstances during a conflict near the Gaza envelope, claiming Tubul acted to protect civilians and that the investigation is politically motivated. They also cited an alleged military inquiry clearing Tubul, though the IDF stated no formal investigation was conducted. Reports also revealed that a conversation with the northern brigade commander in the Gaza Division highlighted failures in Tubul's conduct.