An Israeli policeman was convicted of using excessive force during the controversial evacuation of the Amona outpost.
Jerusalem District Court on Monday handed down a guilty verdict against one of three policemen on trial for their actions during the February 2006 evacuation. He had been videotaped needlessly headbutting a protestor.
The policeman now faces possible discharge and even jail time. His conviction was the first of a member of Israel’s security forces following the controversial evacuation.
Dozens of pro-settlement demonstrators and police were injured when Israel ordered a crackdown on Amona, in keeping with the requirements of the U.S-sponsored road map for peace with the Palestinians.
The clashes were a formative event for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who had just assumed power pledging to get tough on West Bank settlers who erect outposts without state authorization. The Olmert government has since largely shied away from further evacuations, drawing criticism from the Bush administration and Palestinian Authority.
