Border policewoman charged over mock execution of teen

Here is a report that so far didn’t get that much traction on Israeli news sites, except for YNET (which didn’t bother to report whether the accused deny the charges, but I’ll update as soon as I find out.)

“The Justice Ministry’s department for the investigation of police officers served an indictment to the Jerusalem District court against two border police  – Yishai Ben Uzri, 30, of Ariel, and Shani Sevilia, 22, in Jerusalem, on charges of aggravated abuse and assault of a Palestinian teenager.

According to the indictment… in March last year the 17-year-old in question was detained at the Rockefeller checkpoint in Jerusalem, and was found to be in possession of three firecrackers. After the search, the indictment says, Ben Uzri grabbed the teen by his shirt and led him behind a bus parked nearby, where he punched him across the jaw and kicked his knee.

The teen was then handcuffed and Ben Uzri transferred him to the charge of Sevillia and another policeman, Tzion Benishti …When they arrived at the Shalem station in Jerusalem, the two took the teen into an elevator and Sevillia covered the teen’s head with his coat.

As they left the elevator, the indictment states, Sevillia kicked the teen’s behind and told him, “you’re going to die in ten minutes.” Sevillia and Benishti then took him into an empty room, where they pushed the teen to his knees,  still handcuffed and his head still covered with the coat. She then drew her personal handgun, which was empty at the time, cocked it, put it to the teen’s neck, and counted back from 10 to 1.

The teen, the indictment says, shouted “no, no.” When she finished counting Sevillia pulled the trigger, saying “death to Arabs” and “all the Arabs are whores.” Benishti asked her to stop, but she would not. She then took the coat off the teen’s head, took one of his firecrackers and put it into his own pocket. She then clicked a lighter close to his ear, to scare him and make him think she was about to light the firecracker in his pocket. After that, she punched and slapped the teen’s face…

…the department claims Sevillia was motivated by racism.

Update: In case you wondered how does the public react to such news items, here is one randomly chosen comment from YNET:

‏A “poor” teen like that carried out the murder in Itamar.   All those bleeding hearts are probably pained about the situation of the Palestinian who goes about with firecrackers. What a disgusting country, instead of praising the policewoman who loyally does her work and causes deterrence to young people of this kind [sic], the state comes and judge her. Reall turns you off  from fighting and joining the military. It’s much better to be like the lefties who “for reasons of conscience” don’t want to serve in the military and get released. Why can’t bleeding heart Israel learn from Libya, Egypt or enlightened Syria how to restore order. Small wonder our neighbours eat us and don’t take us into account.”