Police Internal Affairs has decided to recommend a mere disciplinary hearing instead of criminal trial for the officer who assaulted Homesh activists and destroyed evidence.

The officer in question is Brig.-Gen. Shlomi Even-Paz, the Border Police Commander of Judea and Samaria. In the summer of 2007, Even-Paz took part in trying to prevent one of the dozens of marches by Land of Israel activists to the ruins of the town of Homesh – destroyed by the 2005 Disengagement.

According to the Yesha Human Rights Organization, headed by Hevron resident Orit Strook, Even-Paz was documented instructing his soldiers to use excessive force. When he noticed he had been caught on tape, he took away all the cameras he could reach and even destroyed at least one memory card containing incriminating photos.

A complaint filed with Internal Affairs by the Yesha rights group accused Even-Paz of assault, theft, obstruction of justice, malicious damages and tampering with evidence.

The organization provided Internal Affairs, three months ago, with contact information of witnesses to the events. Not a single witness was summoned. The organization had first garnered immunity for witnesses; Attorney General Menachem Mazuz agreed not to indict those who came forward for being present at Homesh – illegal for Jewish civilians under the Disengagement Law.

The Internal Affairs Division of Israel's police decided that officer Even-Paz will only be charged with conduct not befitting an officer, requiring an internal disciplinary hearing. Despite evidence and testimony handed over by the Yesha Human Rights Organization, Internal Affairs announced it found no evidence of obstruction of justice and will therefore not recommend a criminal trial. The decision also cited the infamous legal status of “lack of public interest” in the decision to close the investigation into the malicious damages and the other allegations.

The Yesha Human Rights Organization’s Orit Strook said she found it strange that a decision would be made due to “lack of evidence” when "several witnesses to the crime were not even interviewed by Internal Affairs.”

MK Uri Ariel (National Union) called the decision a whitewash and said it was part of an ongoing problem of such investigations being carried out by the police themselves. “It is unconscionable that police commanders are systematically investigated by their own, with the case closed and whitewashed,” he said.

According to Ariel, two similar incidents involving Even-Paz took place in recent months. Four months ago, Makor Rishon photographer Miri Tzachi reported that Even-Paz attacked her and prevented her from photographing at the Harchivi outpost near Elon Moreh despite her Government Press Office-certified press pass. A more recent incident involved a photographer from the Land of Israel Forum who was videotaping a forced eviction that Even-Paz was overseeing. Even-Paz confiscated the photographer's video tape and destroyed it.

MK Ariel plans to appeal the Internal Affairs decision to the State Prosecutor.