Israeli forces allegedly brand Star of David on Palestinian man’s cheek

A Palestinian man who was detained by Israeli forces in occupied East Jerusalem was allegedly violently beaten and had the Star of David branded on his cheek, Israeli media reported on Friday.

The man was arrested on Wednesday during a police raid of his home in the Shuafat refugee camp.

His lawyer filed charges of police brutality to a Jerusalem district court on Thursday.

None of the 16 officers involved in the arrest of the Palestinian man had their body cameras on, Ynet news website reported.

During the remand hearing, the man’s attorney Wadim Shub alleged officers blindfolded his client and beat him with their fists “in all parts of his body,” the Times of Israel reported.

Shub also alleged they branded the Palestinian man’s cheek with the Jewish Star of David symbol, it added. The arrest left him covered with bruises and cut marks on his face.

In a statement, the man’s lawyer called the incident “a grave case of intentional violence and humiliation of a detainee by police” and demanded an immediate police investigation.

“As a law-abiding country, we must not put up with the phenomenon of police brutality. In this case, the nature of the injuries raises a strong suspicion that they were racially motivated,” Shub said.

The Palestinian man was detained on suspicion of “drug trafficking offenses,” the Times of Israel reported.

Police on Saturday denied officers branded a Star of David on the man’s cheek. They alleged that the officers used “reasonable force” to arrest him and that the “bruise that is similar to a triangle” was caused by a boot pressed against his face.

The presiding judge, Amir Shaked, reportedly expressed his “horror” over the police’s conduct, according to the Times of Israel.

Shaked directed the case to the police’s internal investigations department and ordered that the Palestinian man remain in detention until Sunday.