Public Security Minister Omer Barlev (Labor) backs the police officers who were involved in the chase and crash in which Ahuvya Sandak was killed last year.
In an interview with Galei Tzahal (IDF Radio), Barlev claimed that Sandak, who was 17-years-old at the time of his death was to blame for his death. "Sandak's death was caused by him trying to run away and the cops doing their job. This is not to the liking of some of the hilltop youth, but it is not a reason to open an investigation against policemen who were doing their job. This indicates that there are citizens who do not believe the State and want to take the law into their own hands."
MK Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionism party) reacted sharply to Barlev's remarks: "So according to Omer Barlev, there are civilians who police are allowed to kill and whose death does not even warrant an investigation. You heard well, not even an investigation that would verify what exactly happened there."
Activists have protested in recent days demanding the prosecution of the police officers involved in the deadly car crash in Samaria.