A resident of Havat Gilad, whom the IDF has accused of assaulting a Golani commander during a protest on Saturday night, has denied the charges against him and intends to sue the IDF for his ordeal.
Yehuda Shimon, an attorney by trade, brought eight of his children to a Saturday night protest against the killing of Ahuvya Sandak. Shimon claims to have been assaulted by both the commander and his soldier for reprimanding them over seizing his daughters in an intimate manner.
"The teenagers leading the protest had been blocking the road for some time when the order came to remove them by force. I saw the soldiers grabbing one of my daughters near her chest, in a very intimate fashion, so I approached him and shouted 'Do not touch the girls! Do not touch the girls!'. The soldiers set upon me immediately, although even the police officers around could see I'd done nothing wrong. I was allowed to arrive for interrogation at the precinct of my own accord, and was released immediately after my interview. Until the IDF's announcement, I did not know that it was a commander at all. This has been a sad day for the Golani, the IDF and the state," Shimon said.
Shimon intends to file a civil lawsuit against the police and the IDF for groundless arrest and assault.
A demonstration near the town of Kedumim on Saturday night found residents blocking traffic, creating a lengthy jam. IDF forces stationed at the area first asked residents to clear the road, then began removing them by force when they failed to comply. One such resident violently assaulted Lt. Col. Eyoub Koyef of Sayeret Golani.
"The IDF strongly condemns physical and verbal violence against its representatives and takes a rave view of such incidents," the IDF commented.
In response to this incident, residents of Kedumim will hold a rally on Monday night in support of the Golani soldiers stationed in the area. Kedumim Council Chairman Hananel Dorni commented," This is a serious incident which saw an IDF officer attacked by a person who does not live in Kedumim. I condemn any attempt to harm IDF soldiers - they are our sons and brothers, and we are deeply in their debt. Our hearts are with the officer and his soldiers, and we will continue to work together to maintain order in the area.
Defense Minister Bnei Gantz commented, "We will not accept any act of terrorism or violence against civilians or soldiers. I condemn the attack on a Golani commander by a lawbreaker. The IDF and other security bodies will continue to maintain law and order despite all malicious incitement to the contrary. The recent uptick in violent assaults will be met swiftly and severely."
MK Bezalel Smotrich said, "I tried for more than half an hour to find out what happened and have not succeeded. This, though, must be made abundantly clear: no one may raise a hand against our brothers in the military or the police. I send my best regards to Sayeret Golani and their commander, Lt. Col. Koyef."