Masked men caught on camera
Jewish home destroyed
Gil Sapir
Druze documented vandalizing Jewish property
Police release images showing group of masked men from town of Peki'in damaging equipment at Jewish home during riots which broke out in area Tuesday. According to police, incident took place after police forces left town, images prove installation of cellular antenna was not cause of clashes
The Israel Police on Thursday released images documenting about 10 masked men from the Galilee town of Peki'in vandalizing Jewish property during the violent clashes
which took place in the Druze town between police forces and local residents on Tuesday.
Dozens of people were injured in the clashes, including one local residents who sustained serious wounds after being shot by a police officer.
Violence
Amnon Meranda
MK Hasson demands establishment of parliamentary committee to examine whether police acted appropriately by sending hundreds of officers to contain rioters in Druze town
Sources in the police's Northern District said that the images caught by security cameras refute the claims that the police were responsible for things getting out of hand.
"This is a group of thugs who have been embittering the lives of the residents of the Peki'in Hahadasha neighborhood. The cellular antenna story was only a catalyst," a source said.
The images released show masked men arriving at a Jewish family's house after police forces left the village. The home owner is seen in the images hanging laundry at her backyard, as the group arrives at the house and starts destroying equipment.
In a police recording, the police forces' commander is heard reporting of groups of gunmen approaching Jewish homes near Peki'in.
The commander noted in the recording that the road leading to the community had been blocked by burning tires, and that he spotted dozens of masked men near the town's well.
The command post instructed the commander to "focus on arresting the masked men," but later he reported of an officer seriously injured in clashes.
"Send immediate medical evacuation," the commander demanded, reporting that he heard "calls on loudspeakers to go out and clash with the police."
Sources at the police's Northern District pointed to the recordings as proof that the residents' claims that the installation of a cellular antenna in the town was what promoted the clashes were inaccurate, as the masked men began destroying the Jewish residents' houses after the police forces left the village.
