Hours after being indicted for assault: Deputy Mayor announces joining a new party
Shimon Tobul, a representative of Degel HaTorah and a reserve soldier in the Givati Brigade, announced he is joining Avi Maoz's party ahead of the elections. The announcement comes concurrently with the filing of an indictment against him for assaulting two gas station employees over Arabic music. Noam responded: "The prosecutor's decision is puzzling."
Shimon Tobul, Deputy Mayor of Be'er Sheva on behalf of Degel HaTorah, Rabbi Shimon Tobul (43), announced his joining the Noam party led by MK Avi Maoz. Tobul, who has served as a city council member since 2013, currently serves as Deputy Mayor, holds the environmental portfolio, and heads a faction of three members.
The announcement of his joining the national political system comes in the shadow of legal developments: the Southern District Attorney's Office filed an indictment this morning (Tuesday) at the Be'er Sheva Magistrate's Court against Tobul, charging him with two counts of assault.
According to the indictment, filed by Adv. Avi Biton following an investigation by the Southern Fraud Investigation Unit, in September 2024, while serving in the reserves at a gas station in Kfar Aza, a confrontation developed following music in the Arabic language that was playing from the vehicle of one of the employees at the site.
According to the charge, after a citizen complained to him about the music, Tobul entered the convenience store, demanded the employee turn it off, and shouted at him. It is further alleged that Tobul grabbed the employee by the nape of his neck, struck him in the face, pushed him toward the vehicle while brandishing his personal weapon, and struck him again. It is also alleged that he pushed another employee who tried to clarify the circumstances of the incident, until he was separated by those present at the scene.
Rabbi Shimon Tobul addressed his joining the party and stated:
"I am joining Noam out of a deep belief that this is the time to do everything to save the right-wing government and the world of Torah. The people of Israel need leadership that connects and unites, preserves the Jewish identity, and is loyal to the Torah of Israel, the people of Israel, and the Land of Israel."
Regarding the indictment, the Noam party stated:
"The decision of the civil prosecutor's office to take the case for its handling, after the incident had already been examined within the military framework and Master Sergeant Tobul received the backing of the military system, raises great bewilderment. We stand by Shimon Tobul, a reserve soldier who acted for the security of Israel, and express our full support for him and his actions."
