Maj. Gen. Yasser Asadi, who was documented this week when he blocked MK Limor Son-Har-Malech so that she would not interfere with the uprooting of the vineyard in Binyamin, was an active partner in the election campaign of the Yesh Atid party. In an incident recorded during the evacuation of Kerem Ben-Eliyahu in Gush Shiloh in Binyamin, four Border Guard fighters surrounded a Knesset member from the Otzma Yehudit movement and surrounded her with arms crossed, to prevent her from protesting in front of the tractors that uprooted the trees or trying to block them with her body.
Preventing the movement of a member of the Knesset, even in an area designated as designated for evacuation or in a “closed military area”, is contrary to the law granting immunity to members of the Knesset. MK Son-Har-Malech also testified afterwards that she saw the policemen’s activity against her as sexual harassment.
Before the elections, Asadi hosted a house party at his home in Deir al-Assad, with the participation of the minister at the time, MK Elazar Stern, with the aim of encouraging the residents of the settlement to vote for the party. Asadi even signed the party’s notices in the settlement, and his personal phone number appeared on them for anyone who wanted to contact him and get more details. It should be noted that it is forbidden for those wearing uniforms to take part in political activity.
The Israel Police stated that “the matter is under investigation. If it is found that there is truth in the matter, the matter will be dealt with in full severity.”
Mish Atid reported that these days Asadi does not take part in the party’s activities.
This is not the first time that Asadi works to block Knesset members from the right who want to monitor what is happening in the outposts. In another video, from September 2022, he was recorded preventing Itamar Ben-Gvir, now the Minister of National Security and then a full member of the Knesset, from approaching the evacuation zone in Givat Oz Zion. In another document, Asadi is seen acting the same way towards the Minister of National Missions, Orit Strock.
The critical reactions to the incident this week did not only come from the ranks of the coalition. MK Naama Lazimi from the Labor Party said that “there are lines that must not be crossed under any circumstances. The sight of four men surrounding a woman, and in particular a religious woman, is unacceptable, and what MK Limor Son-Har-Malech describes as having gone through is serious, disturbing and requires immediate examination and treatment.”
Hadas Danieli-Yelin, CEO of the Women’s Lobby, said: “No woman, in any situation, should feel like this. There is a lot to do and how to prepare to prevent such incidents in the future.”
MK Limor Son-Har-Malech’s surroundings told us that the “disturbing” publication regarding the policeman’s political affiliation and his similar actions in the past, “raises worrying doubts and questions about his actions, which are presented as purely professional. In light of his violent and unusual behavior, which was used against many settlement activists in the past, it is difficult to ignore the feeling that Asadi’s violence and brutal conduct stem from intense hatred for the right-wing camp and not from cold professional considerations.”
The Israel Police stated: “The goal of the commanders and fighters is first and foremost the preservation of human life. The MGB commander was updated throughout the event, and it is important to emphasize that alongside the immunity and freedom of movement that the Knesset has, the fighters acted with great sensitivity and determination, while containing and conducting respectful discourse, and with professional treatment throughout the event. We will continue to act with sensitivity and determination in every task and everywhere.”