Police chief: Sorry forces entered Druze prayer house
In Knesset's Interior Committee discussion on Peki'in riots, Commissioner Dudi Cohen apologizes for fact police forces entered place of worship during clashes, thus inciting further violence. MK Zahalka: Police violent towards Arabs, Druze
Although four months have passed since violent riots broke out between security forces and locals in the Druze village of Peki'in, the police have yet to file any recommendations for indictments against the residents involved in the clashes, Police Commissioner Dudi Cohen told the Knesset's Interior Committee Wednesday.
Cohen also apologized to the committee for the fact policemen entered a Druze prayer house in the course of the events, an act that apparently sparked further violence.
"The prayer house was not marked as such on the outside; we did not know it was a holy place. I apologize," Cohen said.
According to the police chief, seven residents were arrested following the riots, but were later released. However, he stressed that the investigation cases against them were still open.
MK Effie Eitam (National Religious Party) criticized the police for its failure to secure indictments, saying that this was an indication either that the deployment of large forces in the village was unnecessary in the first place, or that the police have failed.
Cohen rejected the accusations, and claimed the forces performed very well.
Locals claim policewoman wasn't kidnapped
During the meeting, Peki'in's representatives claimed that the female officer who was held by rioters during the clashes had not been kidnapped at all.
"Does it seem likely to you that a soldier was kidnapped while carrying a loaded weapon?" Local Council Deputy Head Youssef Khamid asked the committee. "The policewoman even offered to hand over her gun to us, and the villagers declined, saying that they didn't kidnap her but that she had been left behind by her fellow officers."
However, Cohen insisted that the incident in question amounted to "outright kidnapping. In my 30 years in the police, I have never encountered such violence towards police officers."
Balad Chairman MK Jamal Zahalka, responded by saying that "the police are violent towards the Arab and Druze public and regard it with suspicion." Zahalka rejected Cohen's claim that the affair was an isolated one, saying: "This could have happened in any other Arab town… because the police are the same police, and the problems of discrimination, neglect and oppression are the same."
Sharon Roffe-Ofir contributed to the report
