When I received word that no one would be put on trial, I was upset, and, as a citizen, I would liked to have seen some results from an investigation into an incident in which 13 people were killed, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni said Thursday regarding the decision to close the investigations against those involved in the October 2000 riots.
“The difference between me and those who criticized the decision is that I believe the system’s considerations are right,” Livni added.
The minister was addressing recent remarks made by attorney Shlomo Cohen, chairman of the Israel Bar Association, who said regarding the Police Investigations Committee’s decision to refrain from indicting any police officers over the deaths of 13 Israeli-Arabs during the October 2000 riots that, “It is safe to assume that the results would have been different if the victims were Jewish.”
Livni added: The trust in the law enforcement system is crucial.”
Knesset Member Issam Mahul (Hadash-Ta'al) said regarding the Police Investigation Committee’s decision, “that this is a difficult time for democracy and the government in Israel.”
"The feeling of 20 percent of the Israeli public is that it is driven away from the centers of justice in the state of Israel. We are unable to communicate our hard feelings. It is important that the Justice Minister and attorney general support the police, but nothing can resolve the lack of trust and confidence we feel toward the Police Investigation Unit,” he said.
"The justice system is the last ray of hope for us. If this trust is lost, this will be a very difficult thing."