Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., November 29, 2007 Kislev 19, 5768 | | Israel Time: 23:44 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Anti-disengagement protestors blocking traffic in Ramat Gan in June 2005. (Archives) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 20:35 29/11/2007 Policemen sentenced to community service for beating rightist protestor By Ofra Edelman, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Gaza Strip, police, Israel  Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court on Thursday sentenced two police officers to community service and a suspended prison term for assaulting a protestor at a Ramat Gan demonstration against Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in June 2005. One of the officers, Eran Naim, was convicted of assault for inserting his fingers into then 19-year-old Akiva Vitkin's nostrils and using them to pull his head over backwards in order to cause pain and neutralize him. Naim was sentenced to six months of community service and a one-year suspended prison term, to be applied to any violent crime conviction in the next three years. Naim's second-in-command, Abraham Eliran, was also convicted of assaulting Vitkin while he was in custody at Ramat Gan police station. Vitkin was handcuffed and seated on a table with his back against the wall. Eliran struck him in the face and stomach, saying "We will get you in the end." Advertisement He was sentenced to three months community service and a six-month suspended prison term, to be applied to any violent crime conviction in the next three years. The two were ordered to sign a monetary commitment to refrain from violent crime, in order to avoid a four-month active prison sentence. Presiding judge Chanan Efrati said that limits on the use of force to impose law and order must be clear and firm, in order to prevent them from being interpreted in a non-uniform manner, which Efrati said put Israel at risk of eventually becoming a violent society. Efrati said he was convinced that Naim had been quick to use unnecessary force on several occasions, and failed to adequately alter his behavior following two prior violent crime convictions. The judge ruled that Eliran's behavior lacked self-restraint, and was an improper and illegal personal imposition of justice. Naim said in response to the sentence that he had been sent to uphold the law, while the protestor was breaking the law. The officer said he would appeal the sentence at the district court, and even the Supreme Court should that be necessary. Related article: Policemen convicted of assault on anti-disengagement activist Bookmark to del.icio.us Breaking his silence The Annapolis summit provoked Iran's president to lash out against Israel. Israel's school daze Education Ministry data reveal a gap in test scores between Jewish and Arab schools.   1.   Ramat Gan -- Again! 20:41  |  J. Hahn-Efrati 29/11/07   2.   Why not JAIL? 22:24  |  Yaakov K. 29/11/07   3.   Israel is a Banana Republic 22:30  |  Straight Talk 29/11/07   4.   Double Standard 22:48  |  Gee 29/11/07   5.   Lucky it was only the Israeli police... 23:23  |  Maureen Ann 29/11/07

Today Online Olmert to Haaretz: Two-state solution, or Israel is finished Responses: 372 Algerian minister: Sarkozy in power thanks to Jewish lobby Responses: 131 Rice said to compare life in U.S. south to Palestinians' plight Responses: 152 Report: Nixon feared Israeli nukes would spur arms race Responses: 67 Debate rages on World Jewry's role in peace concessions Responses: 81 Rosner's Domain If I forget thee Jerusalem, you can forget about us Poll: So, was Annapolis a success? Travel Jewishly (and pay more) Rosner's Guest: Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are still Rice's show More Headlines 21:14 Police recommend closing case into Olmert on Bank Leumi affair 23:24 Abbas: Now is the moment of truth for Palestinian statehood 22:41 MK Orlev: Police have 'rolled out the red carpet' for Olmert 23:41 Police, teachers clash, halting Labor Court hearing on strike 20:00 Debate rages on World Jewry's role in peace concessions 20:35 Policemen sentenced to community service for beating rightist protestor 19:55 Report: Nixon feared Israeli nukes would spur arms race 18:37 Hamas said calling on UN to rescind 1947 partition plan 20:21 Report: Rice compares life in U.S. south to Palestinians' plight Previous Editions Select Day 28 nov 27 nov 26 nov 25 nov 23 nov 22 nov 21 nov 20 nov 19 nov 18 nov 16 nov 15 nov

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