Israel: Charges against beachgoer who threw sand at minister

According to police, Noa Goldenberg threw a “sand ball” that hit Ben Gwir and his bodyguards, then “ran away in her swimsuit into the sea and refused to come out despite repeated calls from officers.”

The woman initially denied throwing sand at the minister, but when confronted with the evidence, she admitted her actions, citing frustration at seeing the minister on the beach “when he has more important things to do during the ongoing war,” the Times of Israel wrote.

Ben Gvir, who is the leader of the nationalist Jewish Power party, visited the beach in Tel Aviv, considered a stronghold of the Israeli left and liberals, with his family and bodyguards. Other beachgoers shouted at him, among other things, “murderer, because of you hostages are dying in Gaza,” the daily Haaretz reported. Ben Gvir opposes negotiations with Hamas aimed at a ceasefire and the release of still-imprisoned hostages kidnapped on October 7, 2023.

Goldenberg was captured by police on Friday and held overnight in jail. She was taken there in handcuffs. On Saturday evening, the Tel Aviv City Court released her from custody, but issued a restraining order against Ben Gvir. During a hearing outside the building, about 300 people protested the arrest of the woman, who had no previous criminal record.

The incident on the beach is a symptom of the growing hatred between warring political camps and the growing division among Israeli citizens, fueled by the growing violence of police and protesters and the hate pouring from the Internet, commented Ynet on Monday.

For every citizen Israel It is obvious that Ben Gvir is not fit to be the Minister of National Security, but there is no justification for any violence against officials, the Jerusalem Post wrote in an editorial on Monday.

Ben Gvir is accused of politicizing the police under his command and deliberately provoking the Palestinian population, which threatens the security of the state. It is clear that the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu keeps Ben Gwir in the government only to preserve the coalition and does not allow him to make more important decisions, the newspaper added.

Throwing sand at Ben Gvir should be treated more as a suicide attack, Goldenberg did the most harm to herself and is the only victim of the incident, and she was treated as if she had actually tried to kill the minister – commented the daily “Haaretz”.