Beersheba Mayor Refuses to Remove Deputy Accused of Assaulting Bedouin Gas Station Workers

Beersheba Mayor Rubik Danilovich announced he will not dismiss his deputy, Shimon Tobol, who faces criminal charges for allegedly assaulting two Bedouin gas station employees in the village of Gaza. This decision followed consultations between the city's legal advisor and both the prosecutor and Tobol's military defense attorney. The issue was raised during a city council meeting broadcast live on Facebook amid protests demanding Tobol's removal.

Council members Ido Atiyas and Timor Michaeli proposed discussing Tobol's continued tenure, citing the seriousness of the charges and referencing a precedent from 2014 when Danilovich promptly removed another deputy after an assault indictment. Atiyas emphasized that filing charges against an elected official is not taken lightly and argued that Tobol's case should not be treated as business as usual. Michaeli stressed the need for public officials to set an example, stating that a senior official charged with violent offenses should not remain in office.

Danilovich explained that after reviewing the case and speaking with Tobol and the prosecution, he is not a judge or executioner and cannot deprive someone of their livelihood amid conflicting accounts. City legal advisor Attorney Haim Tarkel noted that Tobol's case differs from the 2014 incident, as Tobol is accused of simple assault while the other deputy faced aggravated assault charges. Tarkel also revealed that the military defense attorney provided the city with a military investigation report, which described Tobol's behavior as aggressive but justified due to the civilian's conduct, and concluded that Tobol acted with reasonable self-defense.

Tobol himself claimed the charges are a form of persecution against IDF soldiers and vowed to fight the allegations. The military investigation, while supportive of Tobol's vigilance, did not fully address all assault charges, particularly regarding the second victim, the gas station manager. The prosecution conducted a hearing where the military report was presented, but the report lacks the investigative tools of civilian police and military police, highlighting the difference between military and criminal legal processes.