Published: December 11, 2025 · Tedros Editorial
Protest in Ashdod and criminal charges follow a violent arrest — the Mengistu case
In early December 2025, Moshe Mengistu (27), an Ashdod resident coping with mental distress, was arrested following a complaint about violent behavior in a public park while holding an axe.
Documentation of the arrest and the protest
Video footage from the arrest, showing police using force against Mengistu, sparked a wave of protest by hundreds of members of the Ethiopian-Israeli community, who blocked Altalena Boulevard in Ashdod in response.
Two accounts of the incident
The Public Defender's Office argued this was "severe and unjustified police violence," and that Mengistu was in mental distress that was not adequately addressed at the time of arrest.
The police, for their part, stated that Mengistu attacked officers during the incident and injured one of them.
The indictment
About a week after the incident, an indictment was filed against Mengistu on charges of making threats and possessing a bladed weapon. The family and the Public Defender's Office argued the event was traumatic given the police's use of force, and that no suitable alternative was found for Mengistu's mental state while the case was being handled.
Sources
Based on three reports published on ynet between December 8-11, 2025 and the following week: