Last update - 00:00 24/10/2006
Public Security Ministry operations chief told to quit over role in 2000 riots
By Jonathan Lis and Yuval Yoaz, Haaretz Correspondent
The High Court of Justice on Tuesday ordered Brigadier General Bentzi Sau to step down from his position as chief of operations at the Public Security Ministry. Sau was appointed to the position last May, despite the objection of a state commission of inquiry investigating his alleged misconduct during riots in the north in October 2000.
The court ruled by majority that Sau must resign within one month. The ruling was made in response to a petition submitted by the Adalah human rights group following a Haaretz exclusive on the matter.
Judges Ayala Procaccio and Salim Jubran ruled that Sau's appointment ran contary to the Or Commission's recommendation.
The Or Commission had blasted Sau as having acted contrary to the orders and conduct required of him during riots in the Israeli Arab town of Umm al-Fahm and recommended against promoting him before September 2007.
In making their ruling, the court rejected the claim of the state prosecution that Sau's appointment had not been a promotion, and therefore not in violation of the Or Commission's recommendation.
Public Security Minister Avi Dichter instructed the ministry's attorney general on Tuesday to check whether it was possible to appeal the court's ruling. Dichter had announced upon taking position as public security minister his intention to demote the rank of operations chief of staff to that of military secretaries. His announcement was considered at the time a plot to fend of expected criticism over Sau's appointment.
Sau is responsible for coordinating the communication between the public security minister and police. The position is considered to be a springboard to other senior roles and holds much greater influence than Sau's prior position as Border Police chief of staff.
In its probe, the Or Commission had ruled that police handled the clashes contrary to its own policy and that its conduct was unjustified.
It was also proven that, as a result of Sau's decision-making, a police force entered the town of Umm al-Fahm in violation of the instructions, using rubber coated bullets and live ammunition. The committee, however, did not determine that Sau was personally accountable for the results of the clashes.
The commission ruled that "Sau is jointly responsible for the unjustified use of snipers who fired live rounds at stone throwers at the Umm al-Fahm intersection."