Joint Arab List MK Ofer Cassif has filed a complaint with the Israel Police's Internal Investigations Department after he said he was attacked by officers at a protest against planned evictions in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah despite telling officers he was a lawmaker and had immunity.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
A video circulating online showed policemen punching Cassif and wrestling him to the ground at the protest. One of the officers can later be seen briefly kneeling on his chest. Cassif was left with a swollen eye and torn shirt. He denied he had intentionally provoked the police officers on the scene.
In a statement, Casssif said, "Citizens of Israel today are under the constant threat of violence from those who are supposed to protect them. The police violence rages – against Palestinians, against Ethiopian Israelis, against Haredim, against people with disabilities, and against disadvantaged residents.
"When I was attacked, it was first and foremost an attack against a citizen that demonstrated together with other citizens," he said.
