The director of the environmental organization "Green Trend" Elad Hochman, was violently arrested yesterday (Monday) by Ayalon police when he participated in a protest against widespread deforestation near Kugel Square in Holon - as part of the works of the light rail route in the Gush Dan area. After several hours in which he was detained at the police station, a restraining order was issued against him from the Holon area as a condition of his release.
Hochman arrived with his wife Orit Mamrod, to try and prevent extensive tree felling near the square.
This is a protest in which many citizens take part who are happy about the heavy price paid by the environment following the light rail works.
They claim thousands of trees, some of which are decades old, are being cut down.
The protesters explain that in addition to being shadow providers in a vanishing urban landscape, the trees also absorb large amounts of polluting carbon.
"We arrived at the scene and demanded from the workers their amputation licenses," Hochman recalled what had happened.
"They showed a digital document on one of the phones. It was an unclear document. When we did not agree to leave, until a real document was seen, they called the police to the scene."
Green Trend CEO Elad Hochman arrested in Holon, Photo: Green Trend
Heavy environmental price.
Light rail works in Gush Dan, Photo: Yossi Zeliger
He said he initially spoke to the officer near one of the trees to be cut down.
The policeman asked him to leave the place because it was a Nata area and he had to allow them to continue their work. Hochman explained that he had no intention of leaving until he was shown valid resection licenses.
The policeman said he turned to talk to the foremen at the scene and when he returned he explained to Hochman that he had been instructed to detain him for questioning if he did not move away.
"Within seconds it escalated into violence," Hochman describes.
"The two policemen attacked me. One of them even gave me the thighs and they ordered two more vehicles. After they handcuffed me and threw me in the car, they also arrested my wife, handcuffed her and put her in another car."
He said he was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct and interfering with a police officer in the performance of his duties.
"My wife was put in the station and then she was told that if she did not delete the videos then she would not be released," he said.
"The cop went into Google Photos and deleted from the cloud and also from the trash but he forgot to delete from the phone and we were able to recover it."
Hochman was eventually released on bail and a two-week restraining order was issued against him.
His wife, although taken in handcuffs to the station, was not suspected of anything and was released unconditionally.
"I will continue to fight around deforestation and I will continue to demand to see the lawful logging licenses," Hochman declared.
"All of these fellings must be accompanied by an agronomist in a supervised manner. Think, it took this tree 70 years to grow and it's so easy to destroy it and it's a shame."
The response of the Israel Police will be published when received.
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us