The Israel Police recently submitted to the High Court of Justice a revised protocol regarding the operation of mounted units for protest dispersal. The update follows a petition filed by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) in August 2025, which sought to ban the use of horses or impose strict limitations to protect protesters. The court had ordered the police to refine procedures to ensure the existence of escape routes, limit horse use on sidewalks, and restrict the use of additional means such as stun grenades. According to a Walla report, the new protocol stipulates that mounted movement on a sidewalk is permitted only with the approval of the unit commander based on operational necessity. Additionally, a mechanism was introduced to centralize information on injuries to protesters for investigation purposes in severe cases.
However, the ACRI submitted a response sharply criticizing the protocol. According to the ACRI, the changes are merely minor and fail to substantively address the High Court’s instructions. Among other points, it is argued that the police continue to rely on broad definitions of "operational necessity," which grant excessive discretion to officers on the ground. Furthermore, the new protocol explicitly authorizes the use of stun grenades alongside mounted activities, subject to command approval and distance requirements. The ACRI contends that the use of batons and reins remains permitted and that the demand to limit the use of force to situations of real and imminent danger has not been fully incorporated. Concerns were also raised regarding transparency, as injury reporting relies primarily on the officer's own assessment, potentially missing incidents of injury that the officer may not have noticed.
Attorney Nitzan Ilani of the ACRI characterized the amendments as cosmetic, emphasizing that the police continue to allow the use of horses in city centers, thereby endangering protesters. In light of this, the ACRI has requested that the High Court issue an order nisi and hold further discussions to ensure stricter and clearer regulations that protect the right to protest.