Right-wing provocateur Mordechai David was detained Saturday night by police after approaching the Tel Aviv home of Lucy Aharish, an Arab Israeli news anchor, with a megaphone.

He was detained for trespassing and disturbing the peace along with another protester, according to Hebrew media outlets.

The other person was named by reports as Likud activist Rami Ben-Yehuda.

David was captured on video arguing with Aharish’s partner, “Fauda” star Tsahi Halevi, outside the building.

Footage showed Halevi saying: “You’ve come to my home? Where do you want this to go?”

Commenting on the incident, Israel Police said it “allows freedom of protest and expression to every citizen, but will not allow violation of public order, blocking traffic routes, and harming the normal fabric of life of the city’s residents.”

According to Hebrew media reports, the two were released from custody by Sunday morning.

חטף קריזה, צחי הלוי צועק על מרדכי דוד שהגיע סמוך לביתו – מרדכי דוד עוכב לחקירה. pic.twitter.com/96UEkd3zTL Advertisement if(typeof rgb_remove_toi_dfp_banner != "function" || !rgb_remove_toi_dfp_banner("#336x280_Middle_1")){ window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; tude.cmd.push(function() { if(navigator.userAgent.indexOf("rgbmedia-app") > -1){ tude.setDeviceType("mobile"); } tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { divId: '336x280_Middle_1', baseDivId: '336x280_Middle_1', } ]); }); } — מה חדש. What's new❓ (@Gloz111) February 21, 2026

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According to Channel 12, David said he was protesting Aharish due to recent statements she made on air for Channel 13, in which she pointed to the “righteous anger” of Arab Israelis due to the perceived government inaction over the crime wave that has ripped through the community in recent months. She said, “In the upcoming elections, they will flock in huge numbers to the ballot boxes to exercise their democratic right in the democratic Jewish state.”

Responding to the incident, Channel 13 said Aharish’s security detail has been strengthened, and said it “views any harassment or threat toward its employees seriously, and has filed several complaints on the subject. We expect law enforcement to act decisively against incidents of this type.”

The network added that it “has never been required to provide security for journalists at night while they are in their homes,” and it is “shocked by the escalation in manifestations of violence and harassment against journalists.”

David, who was convicted of attempted arson in 2021, regularly blocks the cars of politicians, journalists and other figures he disagrees with, and harasses them.

He has received support from members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition. He has been hosted by Justice Minister Yariv Levin and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has authority over the police, and praised by other coalition politicians.

Earlier this month, he was questioned by police after blocking the car of former High Court president Aharon Barak, calling the 89-year-old Holocaust survivor the “Khamenei of our generation,” as well that of former prime minister Ehud Barak (no relation).

He was released after questioning and banned from contact with any individuals involved in the case for 30 days.

In a video uploaded to X after his first detention this month, David claimed the investigation against him constituted “selective enforcement” and said it was launched solely because police chief Danny Levy caved to “pressure from the left.”

David is also under a restraining order barring him from the home of MK Gilad Kariv of The Democrats, and was questioned last year on suspicion of threatening Channel 12 correspondent Guy Peleg after a speaking event in Tel Aviv.

Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.

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