Lawyer Denounces Police Decision to Remove Yoav Eliasi from Volunteer Unit as Mistaken

Yoav Eliasi, known as "HaTzel," was officially removed from his volunteer position in the Israeli police following an internal investigation by the Police Investigations Department (Mahash). The decision came after Eliasi was questioned under caution on suspicions of breach of trust related to allegations that he exploited his connections to benefit a nightclub linked to his brother. Three police officers are also under investigation for allegedly providing favorable treatment to the same club.

Eliasi's lawyer, Ariel Atri, strongly criticized the police decision, calling it a "mistaken decision" based on false claims. Atri stated that the notification letter about Eliasi's removal, which cited failure to attend an interview as the reason, was issued in error since Eliasi and his lawyer did attend the meeting. Furthermore, Eliasi had voluntarily suspended his volunteer activities prior to the investigation becoming public. Atri emphasized their intention to challenge the removal.

Despite Eliasi's suspension upon the emergence of the allegations and his expressed pride in his three years of service, the police concluded the disciplinary hearing with his dismissal while the criminal investigation is still ongoing. Eliasi responded by describing the dismissal as routine and automatic for volunteers under investigation and expressed his hope to return to service if cleared of wrongdoing.

The case highlights ongoing scrutiny within the police force regarding potential abuses of power and the handling of volunteer personnel amid active investigations.