Israeli Police Indicted in 2 Beatings

Two Israeli border policemen videotaped beating Palestinians were indicted on charges of aggravated assault and abuse of power Sunday. Four other officers were charged in a similar incident.

David Ben Abu and Tsahi Shmaya were arrested last week after an amateur videotape showing them kicking and humiliating six Palestinians was broadcast on Israel Television.

A Palestinian cameraman captured the two kicking the Palestinians in the head, forcing them to do push-ups and hitting them about six weeks ago near a police checkpoint on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the two will be discharged from the force.

Also Sunday, four border policemen were indicted on charges of beating a Palestinian unconscious.

Fadi Muhammed Shaur, a resident of the West Bank town of Hebron, was arrested by the four in June for being in Jerusalem without a permit. They took him to a grove just north of the city, where they beat and then abandoned him, the prosecution said. He was later picked up by an Arab passerby.

The four were charged with aggravated assault and abuse of power.

In another incident Sunday, border police required medical treatment after being attacked at a Jerusalem roadblock by about 10 members of a Palestinian family, police said. Three members of the family were detained for questioning, Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said.