Police detain North Tel Aviv man who put up protest signs against Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf

The groups of protesters called to come and support him outside the Central Tel Aviv police station, and at this time dozens of protesters are gathering outside the police station.

 Negev and the Galilee Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf attends a lobby to strengthen the Galilee at the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, June 26, 2023. (photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
Negev and the Galilee Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf attends a lobby to strengthen the Galilee at the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, June 26, 2023.
(photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

A resident of Tel Aviv was detained this Saturday morning for questioning by the police following the hanging of protest signs against Minister of the Negev, Galilee, and National Security Yitzhak Wasserlauf - his new neighbor in the building.

The suspicion against him, as the police explained when they arrived at his home, is vandalism of real estate.

Wasserlauf, a member of the Otzma Yehudit party, recently moved to a neighborhood in the north of the city. He used to live in the Shapira neighborhood in the south of the city, where there were also demonstrations outside his house.

The groups of protesters called to come and support him outside the Central Tel Aviv police station, and at this time dozens of protesters are gathering outside the police station.

Lawyer Gabi Lasky, a former Knesset member representing Meretz, accompanies him.

 Protestors outside of Central Tel Aviv police station protesting the arrest of a Tel Aviv resident for hanging protest signs against government minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, September 9, 2023. (credit: MAARIV)
Protestors outside of Central Tel Aviv police station protesting the arrest of a Tel Aviv resident for hanging protest signs against government minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, September 9, 2023. (credit: MAARIV)

Responses to the arrest

Knesset member Efrat Raiten from the Labor Party commented on the incident, and in a post she posted on her X (former Twitter) account, she wrote: "It is disgraceful and unacceptable that this happened today in Israel. Police officers are following a questionable order to come to a man's house on Saturday and arrest him because he was holding a protest sign A serious violation of the freedom of expression and protest. It is interesting that suddenly there is no shortage of manpower in the police. The truth is that there is no reason for this illusory arrest. There is no chance that this intimidation will work."

Kaplan force in response to the arrest of the architect Yoav Anderman: "Tel Aviv police are trying to limit the right to demonstrate under the pretext of vandalizing real estate. This is another sign of the collapse of democracy under Netanyahu's dictatorship. The entire public is called to come tonight to the demonstrations in Kaplan and throughout the country and to the demonstration to protect the High Court on the next Monday."

Knesset Member Naama Lazimi (Labor Party) was also denied entry to the police station even though this is contrary to immunity laws that protect her as a member of the Knesset.

"I've been waiting to talk to Yoav Anderman for more than an hour. However, due to my immunity, I should be allowed access. By my side here is the amazing @gaby_lasky who has already given him advice and outside the police with the strong and determined people of Israel to protect democracy and its fighters in any time and situation. A man hung a sign and found himself arrested on Saturday at 12 noon - political police are growing into an undemocratic regime. For the sake of the police, the citizens, and for our Israel, we must win," read the tweet.


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Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.