Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan is advancing an amendment that would give Border Police forces operating in occupied East Jerusalem “immunity from lawsuits” for damages they cause in the course of acting against “terror or rioting”, reported Haaretz.
Israeli bill would give officers in East Jerusalem immunity from prosecution https://t.co/zI31DRMV5Q
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) June 21, 2018
The paper explains that “under the current law, Israel Defence Forces soldiers and Border Police troops are protected from damage suits filed by Palestinians, as long as they were acting ‘on the grounds of combat activity’”, but “this protection is valid only in the West Bank”.
Israeli public security minister Gilad Erdan is working on advancing an amendment that would give Israeli police forces operating in east Jerusalem immunity from Palestinian lawsuits. COWARDS! https://t.co/2kYOAJsELU
— Northwind (@ItsWaWanjiku) June 21, 2018
As context, Haaretz reports that “over the past year the police have fielded ten lawsuits by East Jerusalem residents who say they have suffered harm at the hands of Border Police forces during various operations”. Until now, police cannot cite “combat activity” as a reason for immunity.
Look how Israeli border police thugs treat peaceful Palestinian protesters in occupied East Jerusalem today. pic.twitter.com/FSUgkwH4Kc
— CJ Werleman (@cjwerleman) December 15, 2017
The report also claims that Israel’s “defense establishment is expecting a wave of lawsuits” resulting from confrontations at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound “over the past two years”, many of which are expected to be filed “just before the statute of limitations on the incidents expires”.
Israeli border police were filmed assaulting and arresting a father and his son in Silwan, East Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/7DJ3GpRGyM
— TRT World (@trtworld) August 3, 2017
Just six months ago, Israeli authorities paid compensation to a resident of Shuafat in occupied East Jerusalem who sued the state in 2014, “claiming that three years earlier he had been injured by Border Police gunfire during a demonstration near his home”.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)