Security Guard Sentenced to Prison for Pushing Elderly Man at Licensing Office

A security guard at the Ramat Gan licensing office was sentenced to four months in prison after forcibly pushing a 78-year-old man who came to ask a question. The incident occurred after the elderly man arrived at the office after hours and requested brief entry to clarify an issue. The guard refused entry, leading to an argument during which the guard pushed the man twice, causing him to fall and sustain injuries. Despite seeing the man lying on the ground, the guard did not assist or check on his condition, and only a bystander intervened to help.

The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court accepted the elderly man's account, rejecting the guard's defense that the man had tried to force entry or used violence. The court criticized the guard's conduct after the fall as showing "callousness, insensitivity, and lack of empathy." The judge emphasized that as a public institution security officer, the guard should have shown restraint and tolerance toward citizens.

The defense argued for leniency, citing the guard's clean record and military background, claiming a misunderstanding of the situation. However, the guard refused to cooperate with community service supervision and maintained his innocence, calling the conviction wrongful. The court highlighted the power imbalance between the young, strong guard and the elderly, hearing-impaired man, stating violence is not an acceptable response.

In addition to the four-month prison term, the guard received two months suspended sentence and was ordered to pay 3,000 shekels in compensation. The judge noted that had the prosecution not limited the compensation amount, a significantly higher sum would have been justified.