Adalah Petitions the Supreme Court against Minister Uzi Landau Challenging his Decision to Promote Border Police Commander Benzy Sau

Today, Adalah submitted a petition to the Supreme Court of Israel on behalf of the Committee of the Martyrs’ Families and in its own name, against Uzi Landau, the Minister of Internal Security and Shlomo Aharonishky, the Chief of Police demanding that Border Police Commander Benzy Sau’s promotion be frozen and that Sau be temporarily suspended from his post until the Or Commission publishes its final conclusions. In the petition, Adalah argued that evidence presented before the Or Commission about the October clashes proves that Sau creates a real danger to public safety, and that the Minister’s decision to promote him is extremely damaging. 

On 16 April 2001, Minister Landau decided to promote Benzy Sau, the Northern Commander of the Border Police, and Moshe Valdman, Commander of the Nazareth District, to the rank of Brigadier General. In deciding to promote these officers, Minister Landau overturned former Minister Shlomo Ben Ami’s decision to freeze their promotions because of their involvement in the October demonstrations, during which 13 Palestinian citizens of Israel were killed. The petitioners limited their claims to Sau’s promotion only, because Sau, unlike Valdman, has already testified before the Or Commission. 

On 1 and 2 October 2000, Sau was the commanding officer of all the regular police and border police units in the Triangle region. On those days, Sau gave orders to police to open fire on demonstrators. However, as his testimony before the Or Commission showed, Sau lacked even basic knowledge of police open fire regulations. In the area under Sau’s command, four Palestinian youth were shot and killed by police. Autopsies performed on those killed show that the shootings, which led to their deaths, violated the police open fire regulations. Despite this, Sau testified before the Or Commission that he knew nothing of the circumstances under which the four youth were killed. The petitioners argue that Sau, together with Alik Ron, the Police Commander of the Northern District, used “snipers” to shoot at Palestinian citizen demonstrators in Umm al-Fahem, which also violates the police open fire regulations. The petitioners also maintain that Sau’s testimony before the Or Commission was clearly contradicted by the testimonies of police under his command in a way that undermines his credibility. 

Adalah asserts that Minister Landau’s promotion of Sau violates the rule of law and the public’s trust in judicial bodies and law enforcement agencies. The petitioners further argue that both the promotions and public statements made by Minister Landau against the Or Commission serve to undermine the legitimacy of the Commission. At the promotions ceremony, Minister Landau stated: “It was a severe mistake to establish the Or Commission. I inherited a problem and now I solved it. The reason the prior Prime Minister established it was political.” According to the petitioners, Minister Landau’s decision to promote Benzy is a double-edged sword, damaging both public trust in the police and in the Or Commission.