Israeli police compare notes with PSNI

The PSNI and the Israel police force have controversially held meetings to compare their ongoing operations in the north of Ireland and middle East respectively.

Nine police officers from Israel last week completed a stay in the Six Counties where they were studying how the PSNI deals with what are euphemistically called “community tensions”.

Major general Amichai Shai, who is head of the Israeli police’s human resources department, said the visit to occupied Ireland was very useful, particularly in developing ideas and strategies on how to deal with what British and Israeli both call “minority communities”.

The PSNI and Israeli police force’s strategies against the communities that oppose their rule are well documented.

Eirigi general secretary Breandan Mac Cionnaith said the presence of Israeli police officers in Six Counties is further proof of the PSNI’s commitment to repression in Ireland.

Mac Cionnaith said: “There could perhaps not be a more appropriate link up than that between the PSNI and the Israeli police force.

“The Six County and Israeli states have, from their inceptions, maintained regimes of apartheid and systematic terror against the nationalist and Palestinian populations. The RUC-PSNI and the Israeli police force have been at the front line of these policies.

“While the Israeli police force spends its days evicting Palestinian families from their homes in east Jerusalem and suppressing Palestinian demonstrations, the PSNI spends its time harassing nationalists and republicans with repressive legislation and firing plastic bullets at children. Both forces are notorious human rights abusers.”

On October 25 this year, journalist Diala Jwaihan told the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights how Israeli police violently beat her and cut her clothing when she photographed an officer attacking Palestinian pensioners. Jawaihan suffered acute bruises to the neck and back and muscular strain as a result of the assault.

On July 13 this year, the PSNI opened fire with plastic bullets on a peaceful protest while forcing a sectarian march past the nationalist Ardoyne area of north Belfast. At least 10 residents were injured during the assault, including a number of children.

Mac Cionnaith continued: “It will be worrying for the nationalist community in the Six Counties and the Palestinian population in the zionist state that there is this level of collaboration going on between the two forces. One can only imagine that the visit amounted to an exercise in ‘I’ll show you my way to crack down on dissent if you show me yours’.

“Yet again, the nationalist members of the Six County Policing Board have shown their utter inability to have any impact on policing tactics in the North. It is business as usual for the veteran human rights abusers of the RUC.

“If this visit demonstrates anything, it is that the PSNI is as wedded to the policies of repression as ever.”

Urgent Appeal