The driver for National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was convicted of reckless driving in an incident in which he crashed into another vehicle while chauffeuring the minister last year, Hebrew media reported Thursday.
The indictment against Moshe Eichenstein was watered down significantly due to a plea deal with the prosecution, leading to the revocation of his driver’s license for 30 days over the April 2024 incident.
Prosecutors accused Eichenstein in the Petah Tikva Traffic Court of running a red light while escorting Ben Gvir from the site of a terrorist attack in Ramle, colliding with another vehicle and injuring its driver as a result.
Idan Domatov, the driver wounded in the accident, told Channel 12 news that “justice was served” with Eichenstein’s conviction.
Domatov was hospitalized for several days with a serious knee injury due to the crash. He required surgery and was rendered temporarily immobile.
“The punishment doesn’t interest me,” he said. “I’m very pleased that he was convicted in the accident because all this time they blamed me for causing the crash, even though I wasn’t at fault, and today, thank God, they decided that I am not guilty.”
Idan Domatov, who was driving the other car involved in a car accident with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s car in Ramle, April 26, 2024. (Channel 12 news, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Domatov told the outlet that he hopes to receive financial compensation for the injuries he continues to suffer from as a result of the crash.
Defense Attorney Shosh Hayun said in a statement that his client emerged from the case “smart and not right.”
“What was charged the entire time was accepted — security personnel can drive through a red light. In the end, the accuser decided to correct the indictment on that matter, and we reached a plea bargain,” she said.
In a radio interview after the accident, Ben Gvir seemingly blamed Domatov for the accident, saying that “even when your light is green, when you enter a junction, you have to look right and left to make sure the junction is clear. That’s what they teach in driving school.”
However, the video of the accident shows that Domatov hadn’t had a view of Ben Gvir’s car, which moved into his lane from behind another car without checking if there was an oncoming vehicle.
Ben Gvir, whose ministry holds authority over the police, has a long history of traffic offenses and has been repeatedly slammed for filming himself in transit as a minister while not wearing a seatbelt. Reports in 2023 revealed that Ben Gvir has close to 80 traffic infractions on his record from being caught speeding, using his phone while driving, driving without a seatbelt, and speeding, among a list of other infractions.
Ben Gvir was not the only person with a record in the car during the April 2024 incident. According to media reports quoting unnamed officials, his driver, Eichenstein, was caught driving 147 kilometers per hour in 2022, more than 60 kilometers per hour over the speed limit. At the time, his license was revoked for 50 days.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
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