Senior Israeli police officers are reportedly expressing outrage at National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir after he announced an urgent review of police use of stun grenades during demonstrations, following the violent clashes between police and chareidi protesters on Route 4 earlier this week.

According to a report by i24News, police officials sharply criticized Ben Gvir’s decision, arguing that officers are being blamed for actions carried out in the field.

“They’re throwing us under the train because Ben Gvir got angry,” one officer was quoted as saying. “I don’t remember him being this angry when stun grenades were thrown at Kaplan. Suddenly it’s convenient to place all the responsibility on the officers on the ground? We’re taking a step back. Whoever wants to carry out forcible evacuations can do it himself.”

The officers indicated that the move could affect future enforcement efforts, expressing frustration over what they see as a double standard.

“As far as we’re concerned, let them shut down the country,” they said. They added, “When it comes to chareidim, you’re not allowed to use batons, mounted police, or stun grenades.”

The controversy erupted after police used force against demonstrators during the protest on Route 4, prompting criticism and renewed scrutiny of crowd-control tactics.

Shortly after the disturbances began, Ben Gvir issued a public statement expressing concern over the increasing use of stun grenades against civilian demonstrators.

“Recently there has been an increase in incidents in which stun grenades were used against a civilian population not in accordance with procedures. Therefore, I will hold an urgent discussion on the matter in order to ensure that the use of stun grenades is carried out only in exceptional cases and in accordance with police regulations. If their use is not limited to those cases, there will be no stun grenades in the police force.”

The minister’s comments have now triggered a growing backlash within police ranks, with officers warning that restrictions on crowd-control tools could hamper their ability to respond to future protests.

{Matzav.com}