In a dramatic turn of events, the investigative file against the police officers involved in the fatal chase that ended with the death of Ahuvya Sandak is to be closed.
According to a report on Kan 11, Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit intends to issue an indictment against either all or some of the youths with whom Sandak was traveling in the vehicle that crashed, for the crime of endangering human life. However, it is possible that the youths will end up being convicted of other crimes.
Mandelblit is due to retire from his position at the end of the month and is expected to issue a pronouncement on the Sandak case in coming days, in order to leave a clean desk behind him.
“I was there,” responded MK Bezalel Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionism party. “From the first moment, it was one huge whitewash. Closing the case will leave a ‘mark of Cain’ on the foreheads of the law enforcement agencies of this country, in the same way that the contamination of the case that occurred [when police officers were allowed to coordinate their version of events prior to being questioned etc. -ed.] did, and the delay in commencing an investigation.
“Instead of busying itself with establishing investigative committees to examine the conduct of previous governments, it would be fitting for the government to concern itself with genuine miscarriages of justice committed against sectors of the population that have been silenced,” Smotrich continued. “Is there no righteous man in this Sodom who will demand justice for Ahuvya?”
Otzma Yehudit head MK Itamar Ben Gvir stated: “If the investigative file against the police officers really is closed, it will become the Yom Kippur for the law enforcement agencies, and the granting of a license to kill Hilltop Youth. Mandelblit will leave his position with a stain on his name and the blood of Hilltop Youth will be declared forfeit.”
Attorney Ariel Itri of Honenu, who is representing the parents of Ahuvya, Avraham and Ayelet Sandak, responded to the news, saying: “It is not clear why the Attorney-General is hiding behind leaks to the media over the past few days, rather than coming out openly and telling the public what his decision is. For an entire year, the Sandak family has been suffering sleepless nights, waiting endlessly for the Attorney-General to make a decision, one which he has delayed making until the very last minute. We intend to continue our struggle, both in the legal sphere and in the public sphere, until those responsible for Ahuvya’s death pay the price for their crimes.”
A month ago, a year after the tragic death of Ahuvya Sandak, a joint committee made up of members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and the Public Security Committee was formed, at the request of MK Ben Gvir, and headed by MKs Meirav Ben Ari and Ram Ben Barak, to investigate the incident. During the course of the committee’s hearings, its members heard testimony from a representative of the Police Investigations Department, who reported that their investigation was complete and that the file had been transferred to the State Prosecution and was waiting for the decision of the Attorney-General on what action to take.
Ahuvya’s father was among those who testified before the committee. “It was one big whitewash to cover up the blood,” he said. “But Ahuvya’s blood is still boiling. The whitewash extended to the justice system, covering up righteousness and justice. The role of a police officer of the Jewish People is to be upright – otherwise, all we are left with is an inflated balloon, a police force that is ineffective and one which acts without moral guidance. We are not just demanding justice for Ahuvya; we want justice for the entire Jewish People, in order that incidents such as these should never happen again.
“An arrow pierced our hearts when police officers attacked our son, leaving him pinned under the car for forty minutes until he died,” he continued. “Another arrow pierced our hearts when the entire incident was whitewashed, when the head of the Police Investigations Department ordered the officers involved to be released without even being interrogated.”
Avraham Sandak concluded his words with an appeal to Knesset members: “Israeli Knesset, you are the elected representatives of the public. You must aim to achieve justice and to clean this stain that the killing of my son has left behind. You must insist on justice being done and the truth coming to light.”