BDS supporter attacked in Tel Aviv, slashed across face

Jonathan Pollak was attacked in Tel Aviv on Sunday and called a 'fu**ing Leftist' – tells 'Post' he doesn't want any 'Jewish privilege.'

By HAGAY HACOHEN
Jonathan Pollak after his assault in Tel Aviv (photo credit: Courtesy)
Jonathan Pollak after his assault in Tel Aviv
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Radical left-wing activist Jonathan Pollak was attacked in Tel Aviv on Sunday and cut on his arms and face, the site "Local Call" reported on social media.
Pollak is one of the founders of Anarchists Against the Wall, an organization that is openly against the State of Israel, and is a public supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
"I left the office for lunch and saw two people following me," he told the Post, "I thought they were police, as there is a standing order to arrest me." 
The men, he said, called him a "fu**ing Leftist," shoved him to the ground and began hitting him. At one point, one of them pulled a knife and began cutting him.
"They got stressed at this point and ran away," he said.
When asked how they knew who he was or where he worked, he said that Ad Kan released his personal information on Twitter, but added that he has no way to know if there is any connection between the attack and Ad Kan.
Pollak has had numerous run-ins with the IDF and Israel police throughout his years of protesting, and has been summoned to court hearings for alleged illegal demonstrations in the West Bank.
He refused to attend the court hearings about his protests, using the argument that he will not take part in “the absurd theater” of what he called “occupation.”
"I, as an Israeli, am taken to a court in Israel and my Palestinian friends are taken to Military court," he said, "This says much about the lack of democracy in Israel and how there never was democracy in Israel."

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Communist Knesset member Ofer Cassif tweeted on Sunday that the assault is the result of "vicious incitement by the radical Right, who defines left-wing activists as traitors and those who are pro-peace as enemies."

"We will continue to work for peace," Cassif said, "despite the threats."

Pollak further said he has no intention of going to the police. 
"My experience of the police is that they inflict more harm on us then what I just went through," he said, "the police is the last place in the world I'd go to for protection." 
Ad Kan is active in fighting what they define as "smears against the IDF." On their site, they say that: "We decided that the lies and misconceptions, which are damaging Israel – both within and outside its borders – has to end."
Ad Kan spokesperson Eran Schwartz said to the Post that "it is not true we released personal details on Pollak, we posted that there is a warrant to bring him to court." 
"We released on our sites videos from protests he himself placed online," Schwartz said. 
In an official statement he said Ad Kan "denounces all violent actions" and warned against any attempts to connect the group with other events would be "slander and an attempt to turn the discourse away from the harsh actions Pollak engaged in against IDF soldiers." 
If Pollak is convicted in court for violence against IDF soldiers, the press release reads, Ad Kan will "demand he is sent to prison."  
 


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