Police arrest 2 for allegedly attacking Democrats party activists in south Tel Aviv - EUROPE SAYS
Police arrested two people for allegedly attacking activists with the left-leaning The Democrats party in south Tel Aviv’s Hatikvah Market on Friday, according to a police statement and footage from the. . .
Police arrested two people for allegedly attacking activists with the left-leaning The Democrats party in south Tel Aviv’s Hatikvah Market on Friday, according to a police statement and footage from the scene. Video clips from the market showed the activists had set up a stand and were accosted by at least two men who cursed at them, yelled at them to leave and overturned or kicked their equipment. One of the men could be seen in the footage hitting an activist. The market is located in the Hatikvah neighborhood, one of the few Tel Aviv neighborhoods — all on the city’s lower-income southern edge — where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party received the most votes in Israel’s last national election in late 2022. The activists included Tel Aviv Deputy Mayor Chen Arieli, who chairs the Israeli Gay Youth movement and is running in the Democrats’ July 20primary. Sharing footage of the incident, Arieli wrote on X: “Watch this video of the violence we suffered just now when I arrived with young Democrats activists to Hatikvah Market to speak openly and honestly, including with people who don’t necessarily agree with us. ”Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Editionby email and never miss our top storiesBy signing up, you agree to theterms“This is the result of the Netanyahu regime that sows hatred and division in the nation… and employs brainwashing to the point that we can’t even meet up to chat on a Friday afternoon,” wrote Arieli. “We were hit and spat at, but that won’t quench the hope that we have to fight for. ”התנפלות אלימה בשוק התקווה על דוכן של מפלגת הדמוקרטים, המשטרה עצרה שני חשודים. pic. twitter. com/o29dMueSO3— מה חדש. What’s new❓ (@Gloz111)July 3, 2026In a video filmed later at a Tel Aviv police station, Arieli said she and other activists were filing a complaint “against whoever dared raise a hand against Democrats activists. ”“I know Hatikvah Market intimately. I know the residents — these are people I get up for every morning and do my utmost as deputy mayor,” Arieli said, accusing Netanyahu of having fostered a “new reality” where she was violently prevented from canvassing there. In a statement, police said they had arrested two suspects who allegedly took part in the attack after officers were called to the scene following a report of “physical and verbal violence. ”The two suspects were taken for questioning, police said. We can’t do this work alone. The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident – ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded – I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south. There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since. As a Times of Israel reporter, I’m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit’s. But my colleagues and I can’t do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going. — Stav Levaton, military reporterYes, I’ll joinYes, I’ll joinAlready a member? Sign in to stop seeing thisYou’re a dedicated readerThat’s why we started the Times of Israel – to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world. So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members. Thank you,David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of IsraelJoin Our CommunityJoin Our CommunityAlready a member? Sign in to stop seeing this