Four Border Police officers were sentenced to varying terms in prison for robbing and abusing Palestinians in 2020, the Beersheba District Court ruled on Monday.
The four mandatory service officers had reached a plea agreement and were convicted according to their participation in armed robbery, extortion of property, aggravated assault, abuse, criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and destruction of evidence. Only defendant No. 1, the commander, was convicted of all the crimes; the others have been charged with some of the above offenses.
The commander of the officers was sentenced to 48 months in prison. Other defendants received sentences of 36 months, 28 months, and 11 months.
Defendant No. 5, who had the least involvement, had a separate plea deal and would be sentenced at a later date. That defendant was sentenced to nine months in prison but would be able to serve out the sentence with community service.
The offenders were also ordered by the court to provide financial compensation to their victims.
In 2020, due to closures of the crossings into Israel during the pandemic, Palestinian day laborers attempted to cross the barrier from the territories. The five officers were sent to secure the area.
After the first incident in which they stole over NIS 1,000 from the victims, the officers conspired to rob more victims. They went on to steal hundreds of shekels from the several Palestinians whom they mugged.
How did the Border Police officers abuse and rob Palestinians at gunpoint?
According to the indictment, the officers, who sometimes wore masks to conceal their faces, used their positions of authority to abuse Palestinians who attempted to illegally enter Israel through a breach in the fence.
The Palestinians were threatened, beaten, and humiliated at gunpoint. The officers would seize their money under the guise of law enforcement operations and searches of their persons. The court said the officers took advantage not just of the relative power disparity, but also of the status of the victims, which made it difficult for them to file complaints.
The court noted that the crimes inflicted physical, mental, and property damage to the victims, and the incidents could have escalated out of control and caused even more harm.
While the officers were young, inexperienced, and involved in security operations protecting the border from infiltrators, the court said they had tarnished the good name of the State of Israel and law enforcement with their conduct.