Israeli guards filmed kneeling on Palestinian man's neck

Israeli security guards were filmed on Thursday kneeling on the neck of an Arab man in southern Israel.

The man, named Ali Suad, was pinned to the ground for at least half an hour by Israeli guards, who choked him and arrested him because they suspected him of attempting to steal a gun from one of the guards.

"For some of the time one of them crushed my neck with his knee until I couldn't breathe. It immediately brought to my mind the case of George Floyd, who was choked to death…it could have happened," Suad told Israeli daily Haaretz.

Suad, a 28-year old Hebrew teacher and bus driver, hails from the Bedouin village of Kamanneh. On Thursday, he entered the Be'er Sheva bus station through the vehicles exit, being late for work due to a traffic accident witnessed on the way. A security guard stopped him and told him to leave, allegedly referring to him as "you Arab" and "you little Arab," according to Suad.

Footage from the security cameras show several guards arguing with Suad as he leaves the bus station, and one of the guards shoving Suad, who raised a stone in response, before being pinned to the ground. 

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The security company told Haaretz that "a man tried to enter via an exit gate for vehicles against safety regulations. It was explained to him that he cannot enter, and he was directed to the entryway, in accordance with inspection guidelines," adding that the Be'er Sheva bus station was "more sensitive", due to a recent spate of terror attacks.

Israeli police said they are studying the case.

Arab citizens of Israel are Palestinians who stayed on their land following the creation of Israel in 1948 and received citizenship. They currently account for around a fifth of Israel's population, but face recurring discrimination and racism.

Bedouins, in particular, are among the country's poorest and most marginalised communities, facing ongoing violence and repression by Israeli forces.