Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned this morning (Monday) the severe violence by the police against Haredim who climbed Mount Meron despite a 'closed military area' order.
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Netanyahu wrote: "Last night I watched the harsh images from Mount Meron that shocked us all." He demanded that the police investigate the incident: "I expect the police to investigate the incident in order to prevent unnecessary harm to civilians and call on all Israeli citizens to uphold the law and act according to the instructions of security forces.".
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National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded today: "I accept the anger of the ultra-Orthodox public - and rightly so. The violence last night by some of the fighters was unnecessary, excessive and unacceptable.
""From the day I took office as Minister of National Security, I pledged to stand up for the police and fighters, and I did so - on every occasion when our heroes were subjected to ugly shaming and violence against them.
""But pushing old men and hitting women - that was not my intention. I was very angry when I saw this, and I immediately took care, together with the Border Police commander, to suspend those fighters immediately.".
""At the same time, we must not forget. This is a stumble by a few police officers, who will be held accountable for these mistakes, but the overwhelming majority of our police officers are heroes, who work day and night to protect the people of Israel and proved their great heroism on October 7th when they fought and gave their lives and with their bodies prevented the Nazis from flowing from Hamas to the central cities.".
""I will continue to support the fighters who do sacred work for the safety of the citizens of Israel, but I will not allow wanton violence against the helpless.".
On 'Voice of the Level', the minister said about police violence in Meron: "Anyone who claims that I was silent in the face of violence in Kaplan is a hypocrite. In Kaplan, did they shoot in the air? Did they throw an elderly man to the floor? Did they take off a woman's headscarf?"'
During the Lag BaOmer holiday, violent clashes occurred between police and ultra-Orthodox Jews who tried to reach the Rashbi's memorial. In difficult-to-view footage released last night, a police officer is seen slapping an elderly Hasidic man who wanted to pray in Meron, while his head is hit on the road and he lies bleeding.
Another footage shows a police officer pulling out a gun and firing into the air, after hitting Hasidim. The footage shows a police officer punching an ultra-Orthodox man who was trying to pass and then pulling out a gun and firing into the air, seemingly without any danger or threat to his life. In another case, a police officer hit an elderly woman.
Minister Ben Gvir spoke last night with Border Police Commander Brig. Brig. Yitzhak, and the two agreed that the policeman who brutally slammed an elderly man to the floor, the policeman who shot in the air, and the policewoman who beat an elderly woman during the events in Meron, all of whom are reservists, will be suspended until the investigation is complete.
