Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has come to the defense of a suspended officer who was accused of assaulting Palestinian photographer Mustafa al-Kharouf last Saturday in Occupied Jerusalem. Ben-Gvir expressed support for the officer’s actions and promised to reinstate him as soon as possible.
In a post on the “X” platform, Ben-Gvir said, “I visited the Jerusalem Border Police officer in East Jerusalem and spoke with him,” adding, “I supported him and told him that I will work on his return to operational activity as soon as possible.”
Ben-Gvir commented on the police officer’s suspension, “The days of the suspension imposed by the Israeli Defense Forces have ended. We should not judge our fighters under idealistic conditions.”
A statement issued by Ben-Gvir’s office alleged that the photographer “supports Hamas” and that judgements should not be passed upon combatants in idealistic (laboratory) conditions. The statement mentioned that Ben-Gvir issued instructions to reinstate the officer and other soldiers to operational activity once the nine-day suspension announced by the police ends.
The Israeli police previously announced the investigation of the suspects involved in the beating of the Palestinian photographer, who were later released under conditions that included distance from police stations and prohibition of contact with those involved in the incident.
שוחחתי הערב עם לוחם מג”ב, קצין מצטיין אשר חשוד בתקיפת צלם תומך חמאס במזרח ירושלים ביום שישי האחרון. חיזקתי את ידו והודעתי לו כי אפעל להחזרתו לפעילות מבצעית מיד כשיסתיימו תשעת ימי ההשעיה שמח”ש קבעה. אסור לנו לשפוט לוחמים “בתנאי מעבדה”!
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) December 16, 2023
Documentation of the Assault
The assault was documented by the media, showing the photographer raising his hands during a discussion with the police, when one of the soldiers approached him and struck him on the head with a weapon, then another soldier brought him to the ground and restricted his movement, followed by the first soldier repeatedly kicking him in the head.
The photographer primarily suffered injuries to his eyes and was transferred to the Saint John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem.
The assault occurred while Mustafa al-Kharouf, a photographer for the Turkish Anadolu Agency, was covering the Friday prayer in the Wadi al-Joz neighborhood of Jerusalem, just tens of meters away from Al-Aqsa Mosque.
For the past 10 weeks, Jerusalem residents have been praying Friday prayers in the neighborhoods of Wadi al-Joz and Ras al-Amud after being prevented from reaching the first Qibla. Immediately after their prayer, occupying forces typically confront the worshippers with tear gas, stun grenades, and sewage water to disperse them.
Justification and Denunciation
In an attempt to justify the assault on the Palestinian journalist, an Israeli police official stated that an anti-riot police force was active at the scene following disturbances that photographers wanted to document. He added that seven rioters were arrested on suspicion of throwing stones at the security forces.
The police mentioned that journalists from foreign media channels arrived at the scene, which affected and endangered the security operations, leading security forces to use force to remove them after they refused to leave.
The assault has provoked angry reactions, with Alessandra Vellucci, a spokeswoman for the United Nations Office at Geneva, stating that she was unaware of this particular situation (the Israeli forces’ attack on al-Kharouf), adding, “However, parties to the conflict must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, and journalists and media workers should be protected. Media equipment, offices, and studios should not be targeted for attacks or retaliatory acts.”
The European Union condemned the assault, with EU Commission Spokesperson Peter Stano speaking out on the matter.
The British Foreign Office emphasized that journalists are protected under international humanitarian law, urging all parties to refrain from attacking them. A British Foreign Office spokesperson stated, “Journalists do important work in disseminating accurate and impartial news during times of crisis.”
The German Ambassador to Tel Aviv, Steffen Seibert, criticized the assault, describing it as “appalling and extremely concerning” in a post on the “X” platform, and questioning, “How can this serve the security of Israeli citizens?” He accompanied his post with footage of the assault by the Israeli police on the Anadolu photographer.
The international Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the attack, calling on Tel Aviv not to target journalists.
Carlos Martinez de la Serna, Program Director at the Committee, stated, “The physical assault on Mustafa al-Kharouf is not an isolated incident,” adding that this attack is “part of a series of physical assaults and threats carried out by Israeli soldiers and settlers against journalists doing their job in the West Bank and throughout Israel.”
