Following the MAHASH investigation: Yoav Eliasi officially dismissed from his police role

The affair that began with an investigation and recordings in which Yoav Eliasi is heard boasting about his connections in the police is now reaching another official step: Eliasi, known by the nickname "The Shadow" (HaTzel), was dismissed today (Sunday) from his volunteer position as commander of a rapid response team in the Tel Aviv District, against the backdrop of the criminal investigation being conducted against him in the Department of Internal Police Investigations (MAHASH).

At the beginning of the month, on August 5, Eliasi appeared at the Tel Aviv branch of MAHASH and was questioned under caution on suspicion of breach of trust. At the end of the investigation, he was barred from police facilities for a week. Simultaneously, three other police officers were questioned, including an intelligence coordinator, on suspicion of assisting and granting police leniencies to a nightclub owned by Eliasi's brother. The three were barred from police facilities for three days.

Even before the investigation in MAHASH, the Police Commissioner, Rav-Nitzav Dani Levy, decided to dismiss Eliasi from his position as commander of the rapid response team. The decision was made following the investigation published in "Haaretz", in which it was claimed that Eliasi used his connections with police personnel for the benefit of an entertainment complex in Tel Aviv. Now, after the opening of the criminal procedure against him, the dismissal has become official.

At the center of the affair are recordings in which Eliasi is heard talking about his ability to handle problems with the police. In one of them, he said to one of the partners at the place:

"I am educating them there in the police so that this club cannot be touched."

He later instructed him to contact him for any incident related to the police and the club.

In another recording, after the club was closed at 04:30 in the morning, Eliasi asked to know who the police officer was that ordered the closure. When he was told that the club manager had spoken with police officer Menashe Mansour from the Lev Tel Aviv station, he replied: "Menashe is a friend like a brother, I will talk to him now."

Even those who worked at the place described, according to the investigation, the feeling that Eliasi was the address for any entanglement with the police. Idan Harpak, who served as the head of the security team at the club, said that among the employees it was clear that if a problem arose with police officers, Eliasi was the one who was supposed to solve it.

According to the publication, the entertainment complex includes the "John Doe" nightclub and the "Q Gallery" restaurant above it. The businesses operate separately, but some of the shareholders are shared. One of the companies related to the restaurant, A.I. Eliasi Ltd., was established in January 2025 by Itamar Eliasi, Yoav's brother.

Three weeks after the company was established, 45% of its shares were transferred to Yoav Eliasi and another 5% to their father, Raphael Eliasi. Later, the shares were returned to Itamar, who is currently registered as the sole owner of the company. According to the investigation, the company's address remained Yoav's residential address, and Itamar Eliasi is also a partner in the nightclub.

MAHASH continues to investigate the affair, and in its framework, testimonies were also collected from other involved parties. Eliasi's weapon was taken from him, and now, alongside the criminal investigation being conducted regarding him, he no longer serves in his volunteer role within the police.