Embarrassment for the IDF. The Magistrate’s Court and the District Court in Jerusalem severely criticized the version of Major General Benjamin and determined that it is not reliable. Yesterday, two settlers were arrested on suspicion of attacking the Brigadier General during a protest demonstration against the murder in Hawara.
Major General Eliav Elbaz gave a version according to which the two attacked him, and they were arrested and brought to an extension of detention at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court. During the trial, the claims and evidence of both sides were presented, from which a big question mark was raised about the attack.
First, the Magistrate’s Court Judge Amir Shaked determined that the video presented to him “is not consistent (to put it mildly) with the Brigadier General’s version/complaint” and rejected the police’s request to extend the arrest of the settlers by 5 days and ordered their release under restrictive conditions. The police submitted Appealed against the decision to the District Court.
At the District Court, Judge Miriam Lomp determined that the evidence presented to her, which includes the testimony of police officers from the incident, “is not consistent with the description of the event as described by the Brigadier General…so that beyond the film that was shown to me, which is also inconsistent with what has been said, These testimonies also stand.” The judge rejected the police’s appeal and the settlers are released from custody at this time.
The lawyers: The Gizra Brigade was conducted in a violent and impulsive manner
Attorney Nati Rom and Attorney Adi Kidar from the Honnu organization represented the settlers. Attorney Kidar said, “The Israel Police did not comply with the decision of the High Court that ordered the release of the suspects in light of what was written in the evidence. However, when we arrived at the district court it became clear that some of the materials were not in front of him, and it turns out that from additional investigation material it appears that the new evidence is even weaker And that there is objective evidence that negates the Brigadier General’s version, and therefore in light of the weakness of the evidence, the court rejected the police appeal and ordered the release of the settlers.
In this case, we wish to strengthen the hands of the police officers who conducted themselves in a respectable manner in the incident, and in contrast to them, the Gizra Brigade conducted themselves in a violent and impulsive manner, agitating the area in vain and giving contradictory and false versions.”
Attorney Nati Rom added, “Fortunately, both the Magistrate’s Court and the District Court decided to release my client to house arrest after determining that the needle claim does not match the findings from the field, including a video of the incident itself that we presented. While terrorism is rampant, the security forces are expected to distinguish between lover and enemy and return the Security for the residents of the area.’
The IDF said: “Yesterday (Sunday) a report was received about two Israeli citizens throwing stones at a Palestinian vehicle near the settlement of Rimonim in the Binyamin Brigade area.
The commander of the regional division who passed near the point approached in order to keep the stone throwers away. The suspects verbally attacked the officer and pushed him away, the police arrested the two and they were transferred to further police treatment.”