When police officers step out of line, they must be held to account. We can help that happen!


Dear friends,

Over recent months, and particularly since the elections to the Israeli , questions have again been raised regarding the work of Israel’s Police and its attitude towards minority groups in Israel, activists, and disadvantaged populations. A series of recent incidents in which police officers used violence against citizens has highlighted the importance of this issue. An additional factor is the appointment of the minister of public security (“national security”) in the incoming government, which is expected to be one of the most controversial choices since the establishment of the State of Israel.

PCATI believes that the key to fair and professional policing lies in accountability. When police officers cross the line, they should be held to account in a manner proportionate with their actions. The way to achieve this is by submitting complaints to the Department of Independent Police Investigation (DIPI) and ensuring that the complaints are handled properly.

Unfortunately, the reality on the ground is very different. Nevertheless, the experience we have acquired in PCATI shows that the professional documentation of violence significantly increases the chances that a complaint will be taken seriously. 

Accordingly, we have prepared an online guide to the effective documenting of police violence, launched in cooperation with the Activestills collective and with the generous support of Medico International. The guide is intended for activists, demonstrators, journalists, attorneys, and social workers, and explains how to document violations – in writing and film, by the victim themselves or by those providing help:
Download & Read the full Online Guide here

On November 15, 2022 we launched the guide in a live training session with representatives of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and Activestills. We explained the possibility today to submit an online complaint to the DIPI without the need physically be present at its offices, and offered advice on how to document violations in order to maximize the chances that a complaint will be successful.

We are pleased to share with you, and to make available to all our partners in the human rights community, a short video summarizing the main points raised at the training session, as well as the documentation guide itself. We are continuing to help the victims of police violence at demonstrations, during detention, or on the street. Please feel free to contact us through our website and Facebook page if you need consultation and help.

Link to the video and explanations (Hebrew only):

I also encourage you to read the column written by the head of PCATI’s Legal Department, Atty. Alona Korman. Alona analyzes and critiques the annual report published by the DIPI. The column was published on November 5, 2022 on the website Zman Israel. Click the photo to read the full column (Hebrew only):

For further details on this subject, you might want to read  the Rights of Demonstrators guide published by PCATI in cooperation with the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, as well as the information sheet Defects in the Work of the Police Investigation Department and PCATI’s Recommendations.

Yours,
Tal Steiner
Executive Director, PCATI
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