scene of the shooting
scene of the shootingPolice Spokespersons Unit

The Internal Affairs unit of the Israel Police have recommended that the cops who shot and killed Bedouin schoolteacher Yakub Abu Elkiyan not be charged.

The shooting was part of a violent incident that took place this past January during a demolition of illegally built houses in the Bedouin town of Umm al Hiran.

Initially the incident during which policeman Erez Levi was killed and the driver shot dead was classified by the police and other authorities as a terrorist ramming attack.

However, a subsequent investigation revealed problematic functioning on the part of police in the area including friendly fire by forces from two different units. In addition, the car Levi had been in was not properly lit up in the early morning.

Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel (The Jewish Home) recently apologized for the incident in the Bedouin city Rahat.