Police: MK Eitam lied

Doubts regarding the circumstances of Knesset Member Effie Eitam's injury Wednesday during the evacuation of the illegal West Bank outpost of Amona are growing, Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported Sunday.

According to the Israel Police's video footage, it appears the Renewed National Religious Zionism Knesset member was not hit by a horse as he had claimed, and may have even been hit by a stone hurled by settlers.

After he was injured during the evacuation and rushed to the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem, Eitam submitted to lengthy interviews and slammed police violence, including a horse that supposedly trampled him and about a police officer that hit him with a club.

Police footage, however, reveals a different picture. In the video, mounted forces are nowhere near Eitam at the time of his injury.

According to eyewitnesses, Eitam may have been hit in his head by a stone thrown by settlers. The eyewitnesses reported a large number of stones were being hurled by settlers at the time of Eitam's injury.

The eyewitnesses' claim was reinforced by a police recording where Eitam is seen urging right-wing activists: "Be careful not to hit me with the stones."

'Eitam encouraged violence'

After the incident, Eitam claimed that he had lost consciousness following his injury, but in the police footage he is seen walking away and refusing medical treatment by a military medic.

"Eitam encouraged the violence in Amona. He didn’t tell the youths to stop throwing stones at police officers, but only cared about himself," police officials said Saturday.

Eitam's spokesman said in response that " police are in panic following the criticism from the Left and the Right over the unprecedented violence exerted against civilians and Knesset members in Amona and, moreover, choose to cast false and ugly accusations against those who were injured."

Referring to police claims that Eitam incited for violence, his spokesman said "this is a complete lie. Eitam proved throughout the entire disengagement process and the incident in Amona that he is a moderating factor and unequivocally opposes violence."