Adalah Submitted a File Documenting Alik Ron’s Abuse of Authority to the Or Commission; Northern District Police Commander to Testify on Monday 3 September 2001

On 24 August 2001, the Or Commission, which is “investigating the clashes, which involved police and Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel” in October 2000, delayed hearing the testimony of Alik Ron, the Commander of the Northern District Police to 3 September 2001. Prior to Ron’s expected testimony, Adalah submitted a comprehensive file documenting Ron’s abuse of authority to the Commission. This file documents numerous violations of Ron’s legal duties as the Commander of the Northern District from 1998. It also reviews Ron’s hostile attitude toward the Arab community and its elected representatives, as confirmed by his public statements, beginning in September 1998 with the suppression of the al-Roha demonstrations and ending with the October 2000 events.

The file highlights the following abuses of authority by Ron and hostile statements made by Ron against the Arab community:

• In September 1998, the Northern District Police, led by Ron, suppressed the protest of Umm al-Fahem residents using excessive force. This included shooting at and inside of the high school in Umm al-Fahem and the injuring about 600 Arab citizens.
• In July 1999, Ron stated that: “The Arab Members of Knesset are inciting [the Arab public] in a bloodthirsty way against the police.”
• In March 2000, Ron was directly involved in the suppression of Land Day demonstrations. The Northern District Police led by Ron used dangerous means to suppress the demonstration. As of result of their actions, an Arab woman was killed and many were injured, among them, the head of the High Follow-up Committee for Arab Citizens in Israel, Mohammed Zidan.
• In May 2000, at a press conference initiated by Ron, Ron called Arab political figures and community representatives “inciters” and referred to the Islamic Movement as “the most despicable movement.”  

• On 11 May 2000, Ron shot Ahmad Abed el-Hamid, a 20 year-old Palestinian citizen from Kufr Manda. Ron chased el-Hamid in his patrol car and claimed that el-Hamid did not obey his orders to stop after committing a traffic offense.
• On 12 September 2000, at another press conference called by Ron, Ron told the media that indictments were filed against Umm al-Fahem residents for taking part in activities of a terrorist organization. On 14 September, Ha’aretz wrote that, contrary to the statements of Ron, these indictments alleged only criminal offenses and not “security” offenses. On 17 September,Ha’aretz also published that the State Prosecutor of the Haifa District expressed amazement at the content of Ron’s statements concerning these indictments and that Ron chose the forum of a press conference to make this incorrect announcement.
• On 2 November 2000, Matti Golan, a journalist from Globes, reported that Ron stated: “We will close accounts with the inciters.” Referring to Ron’s statement, Golan opined that: “It is a very dangerous statement. The role of the police is to uphold the law and to catch and punish those who want to ‘close accounts’ with other people and not to join them. Now it is a very serious question if the commander of a district should and has the authority over people on who he wants to close accounts.”

The file also extensively references the testimonies of police officers and commanders who testified before the Or Commission. According to these testimonies, during the October 2000 demonstrations, 13 people were killed and hundreds were injured, mainly from shooting by the police in the Northern District under the direct authority of Ron. These testimonies also showed that the police forces fired live ammunition following the direct orders of Commander Ron.

In conclusion, Adalah argues in the file submitted that: “The career of Alik Ron as a Commander of the Northern District Police was characterized by statements and acts that left him eventually without the trust of the Arab community, which is an integral part of the community in the north. Alik Ron used many means including the making of false, public statements against Arab representatives and against ordinary citizens.  It seems, sometimes, that Ron is intentionally doing whatever he feels like in order not to have the trust of the Arab community. In this way, he violated his duty as a public officer to gain the trust of the community, and he did so consistently. It’s time to end this sharp, scornful behavior of Alik Ron toward his duties, this scorn which led to the loss of many lives.”