Help American Victim of Police Brutality in Israel

On Wednesday the 20th of May, 2020, a young American-Israeli man named Brian Mack was returning from a small break to the health food store he manages in Jerusalem, and was attacked by three large men, dressed in plain clothes. He did not understand why he was being attacked and was convinced he was being mugged. He was screamed at, shoved, punched in the face and kicked to the ground, as they grabbed his phone from him.

While being pressed and shoved to the ground, he heard someone start to yell "POLICE! POLICE!" he thought someone was trying to save him. When he finally understood who these men were claiming to be, he fully complied, despite their continuing to throw blows, and putting pressure on his body when they had him pinned to the ground. Brian only asked them to " let me catch my breath. I cant breathe."

These men never formally identified themselves, as undercover police officers and shoved him into an unmarked car. They drove him around, mocking and insulting him the entire time, and took him to an unknown location where he was interrogated. He was told he could not request a lawyer, and then made mocked and degraded for his looks, his heritage, his parents' names, and his intelligence. The translator purposely mistranslated and wouldn't let him finish answering their questions. The entire time they did not allow Brian to answer the phone calls coming in from his employees from the store he managed who had wondered where he disappeared to, and his mother.

They threatened Brian that if he did not do what they told him to do, he would not be allowed to go home and be thrown into jail. They wanted him to set up a large purchase of Marijuana from telegrass so the police could bust them, but Brian absolutely refused to cooperate with them.

Brian who was 23 years old at the time was well known for his use of Marijuana, had cannabis on him when the police attacked him. He was a couple of weeks away from a final appointment in the hopes of receiving a medical cannabis license. Brian had five grams of cannabis.... two grams over the legally allowed amount, and at the same time well within range of possessing a "small amount" which in Israel is deemed to be 15 grams or less. Being caught with this "small amount" is sometimes enforced with a fine of approximately $275, a much lesser punishment now after Israel moved in April 2019 to partial decriminalization of recreational use of cannabis.

After hours of this abuse and degradation, Brian was thrown out into the street, without any paperwork, and without his phone being returned to him. He spent the night in agonizing pain. The beatings left him unable to breathe properly, with stomach pain and head trauma that caused him to vomit the entire night. 

"The night was one of the worst in my life. I honestly think I would have preferred to die."

Finally in the morning Brian was rushed to the hospital , unable to walk, and drifting in and out of consciousness.

Brian was targeted due to his mixed race ethnic looks. The Israeli police have a notorious record of targeting, brutalizing, and unfortunately, sometimes, killing those of an ethnic descent.

Israel is progressive on the topic of cannabis, as the world's first country with a lucrative medical cannabis program, and even finding in a 2017 survey, that 27% of Israeli adults age 18 to 65 had consumed cannabis in the previous 12 months. It appears that possession of a small amount of cannabis was simply used as an excuse to target Brian. This would be his first offense, and he should have been given a fine, as stated in the law.

Instead, Brian was beaten, degraded, dehumanized, and left traumatized; a victim of gross and inhumane police brutality.

Brian and his family have been connected with a legal counsel who will represent him and is planning to bring attention to these human rights violations, hoping it will lead to necessary reforms and changes. We NEED TO RAISE FUNDS to cover as much of the legal costs as possible, for Brian's protection, to keep him safe and alive.

We don't need to wait until there are more victims, or worse, more deaths, before speaking up and speaking out,

We are so grateful for your time taken to read Brian's story, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts if you are able to make a donation in any amount...or to share and spread the word.