Police Brutally Beat Chareidi in Bnei Brak for Not Wearing Mask

Two police officers unleashed a violent attack on a chareidi man in Bnei Brak on Monday because he was not wearing a face mask in a supermarket. As a result, the man was restrained in a humiliating way, and badly bruised on his face and eye. Only after the police realized that he was bloodied and wounded did they release the young man, who was taken for medical treatment.

The incident occurred in the early afternoon in the Gan Warsaw area of Bnei Brak. A pair of police officers who were patrolling the area entered a local supermarket to inspect and fine anyone who was not wearing a mask, as per the law.

During their patrol, they noticed a young man – known to all as a very refined and soft-spoken person – shopping. Indeed, he was not wearing a mask. They approached him to issue a fine – hundreds of shekels – and demanded identification.

At this point, it is difficult to know what happened, but the situation escalated rapidly. The policemen, who apparently did not get what they wanted, fell onto the man, pushing him into the side of an ice cream freezer. According to surveillance video, the policemen threw him against the freezer, and then pressed him forcibly to the nearby wall – smashing his face in the process.

As he was in this humiliating position, they handcuffed his hands behind his back and dragged him towards their patrol car. The avreich appeared stunned and badly wounded. His face was swollen, as was an eye.

In this condition, the policemen led him to their car – handcuffed – with the intention of arresting him. Only at this point, when they realized the extent of his wounds that were inflicted by their brutality, did they decide to release him.

The young man went to the hospital to get treatment.

In response to the police brutality incident, which was documented, chairman of the United Torah Judaism faction MK Rabbi Yaakov Litzman protested and said that while the public agenda is focused on various spying activities by the police, attention is diverted from an incident that is just as serious. That is disproportionate violence by police to a man shopping in a supermarket, without a mask.

“There is no justification for acting this way and this is very serious,” Rabbi Litzman declared to the Internal Security Minister Omer Bar Lev. He also presented photos showing the injured victim.

“This is not a political matter or a personal matter. This is shameful and violent behavior that must be investigated, and demands explanations and a quick response. We cannot accept a situation where someone is going about his business and is accosted so violently by police. Has the blood of chareidim become hefker? It’s horrific.”

In response, the Israel Police said that “this was a needless incident that should have finished differently, like hundreds of other law enforcement activities that take place each day. This is a citizen that chose to ignore the policemen’s efforts to enforce the law of wearing a mask in a business establishment, and he even tried to leave the scene before the identification and citation process was complete.

“In an effort to prevent him from leaving, he was lightly injured. We regret the outcome of the incident, but we cannot allow people to ignore legal enforcement carried out by police for the sake of public health.”