Farmer in Galilee beaten with a baton in front of his grandson after photographing a suspicious quad bike
Efraim Halfala (65), a cattle farmer, was patrolling his lands near Moshav Sde Eliezer in the Upper Galilee with his five-year-old grandson when he spotted a suspicious quad bike. After photographing the vehicle, he was attacked by its occupants with a baton.
A farmer who photographed a suspicious quad bike without a license plate was beaten by its occupants with a baton in front of his young grandson. The incident occurred last Thursday, around 17:15, when 65-year-old Efraim Halfala, a cattle farmer, was patrolling his grazing lands near Moshav Sde Eliezer in the Upper Galilee, accompanied by his five-year-old grandson.
Before entering the area, Halfala noticed a black quad bike parked between bushes with its license plate folded. Due to concerns about cattle theft, he photographed the vehicle and continued driving. A few hundred meters later, he realized the quad bike was following him. Two masked men signaled him to stop and dismounted.
According to Halfala’s testimony, the riders asked him in an Arabic accent why he had photographed their vehicle. When he explained that he was the owner of the cattle and found the vehicle suspicious, they demanded he delete the photo. Upon his refusal, one of them pulled out a baton and began beating him on his chest and back. The attack took place in front of the five-year-old grandson, who cried out: "Grandpa, what do they want from you? Grandpa, why are they hitting you?"
Halfala managed to get back on his quad bike and escape with his grandson. The attackers pursued them for about four kilometers along a stream route, stopping only when Halfala reached the vicinity of a military base.
"Not thirsty for revenge - but for sovereignty"
Efraim’s son, Yair Halfala, a combat soldier in the Golani reconnaissance unit who has served over 700 days in reserves since October 7, publicized the incident on social media, demanding that the case not be closed for lack of evidence.
"We think this story cannot be swept under the rug. We are not thirsty for revenge but thirsty for sovereignty. This happened to us on our lands," Yair said in an interview with ynet.
He noted that farmers in the area are frequently targeted by crime. He described the attackers as "ticking time bombs" who used telescopic batons with extreme cruelty. "My nephew is traumatized and is not willing to get on the quad bike anymore. We are not willing for this to be the reality of our lives in the Galilee—in an area that has no real sovereignty of the State of Israel," he added.
The Israel Police stated: "Upon receipt of the complaint, an investigation was opened, within which all necessary actions are being carried out to locate the suspects and reach the truth."
