MK Yitzhak Kroizer is expected to appear for questioning today (Sunday) at Lahav 433 following a confrontation between him and police officers in Mitzpe Yericho. Immediately after the questioning, Kroizer intends to visit the offices of the Police Internal Investigations Department (PIID) and demand to file a complaint against the officers who, he alleges, used violence against him.
The incident occurred following a memorial ceremony for fallen IDF soldiers in Mitzpe Yericho. According to Kroizer's account, he approached the scene in an attempt to calm a confrontation between police officers and bereaved families. During the incident, he claims, officers used excessive force against him, struck him, threw him to the ground, and sprayed him with pepper spray.
At the beginning of last week, Kroizer voluntarily visited the PIID offices to file a complaint against the officers involved in the incident. According to Kroizer, after waiting there for nearly four hours, he was prevented from submitting his complaint because of instructions received "from above."
He said that appeals he submitted to the Attorney General, the State Attorney, and the PIID have so far failed to result in his complaint being formally recorded. In contrast, he claims that his summons for questioning was processed quickly.
Kroizer announced that he would appear for questioning and cooperate with investigators, emphasizing that he was not seeking to avoid the investigation. However, he attributed the handling of the incident to political motives, alleging that an attempt was being made to turn him from a victim into a suspect.
"I will appear for questioning with my head held high, cooperate, and not rest until the entire truth comes to light," Kroizer stated.
"I have nothing to hide, and I certainly will not be intimidated by the gang of criminals who are trying to turn the very act of standing up for my rights into grounds for a criminal investigation."
Kroizer added that, as far as he is concerned, the incident goes beyond his allegations regarding the conduct of the police officers in Mitzpe Yericho.
"The grave injustice committed against me does not end with the police violence directed against me. It continued when I appeared at the PIID to file a complaint, and for nearly four hours, Gali and Boaz trampled on my basic rights and made sure I was denied the opportunity to submit my complaint."
The MK also linked the timing of the investigation to the upcoming elections, claiming:
"All of this, miraculously, just a week and a half before the elections! The carefully timed and orchestrated timing, together with the disgraceful conduct, indicates an improper political attempt to turn the victim into a suspect and intimidate an elected official through the law enforcement system."
Kroizer announced that after his questioning at Lahav 433, he would once again visit the PIID and demand that his complaint be formally recorded. He also intends to demand an investigation into the circumstances that, according to him, prevented him from filing it on his previous visit.