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Israel Police chief under fire for comments on over-policing minorities
The Israel Police Commissioner has been sharply criticised by Ethiopian-Israeli community leaders and senior politicians after he suggested that it was “natural” for officers to be more suspicious of those from immigrant communities.
At an Israel Bar Association conference, Roni Alsheich responded to a question over allegations of police discrimination towards Ethiopian-Israelis. He said: “When a police officer comes across a suspicious person [who is either young or from an immigrant background, or both], his brain naturally suspects him more than if [the suspect] were someone else.”
He explained:“Studies the world over, without exception, have shown that immigrants are more involved in crime than others, and this should not come as a surprise.”
Alsheich continued, saying that police are “working on a plan together with community leaders in order to reduce, among other things, the problematic over-policing”.
Hanna Elazar, spokeswoman for the Israel Association for Ethiopian Jews called for Alsheich to resign, describing his comments as “intolerable”.
She said: “Not only are we not immigrants as he says [most Ethiopian Jews arrived in Israel during the 1980s and 90s], but he also only reinforces stereotypes that portray all young people from our community as delinquents and criminals.”
Meretz leader Zahava Galon also called on Alsheich to resign, while Zionist Union head and opposition leader Isaac Herzog called on him to “correct and clarify” his statements. Herzog said it was “intolerable that anyone understand that it’s legitimate to place Ethiopian or Arab citizens under heavier scrutiny”.
However, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, who oversaw Alsheich’s appointment, defended his comments. He said that Alsheich did not endorse over-policing but rather “did exactly the opposite and courageously said that there is a problem that the police are addressing”.
Last year, the issue of alleged police brutality against Ethiopian-Israelis was highlighted by a series of mass demonstrations, some of which turned violent. They were sparked by video footage which appeared to show an unprovoked attack by officers on an off-duty Israeli-Ethiopian soldier.