Nissan Slomiansky
Nissan SlomianskyMiriam Alster/Flash 90

MK Nissan Slomiansky (Jewish Home), chair of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee in the Knesset, spoke to Arutz Sheva on Wednesday about the severe breach of rights of several Jews held on vague suspicions of involvement in the lethal Duma arson in July.

"I have a feeling that in the Duma case someone went out with the headline that: 'we're about to decipher the case here,' and now the goal is justifying the means and they are doing anything they can to find evidence," said the MK.

Strengthening his appraisal is the fact that both Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud) and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon (Likud) have admitted there is not a shred of evidence against the suspects to stand them on trial.

Slomiansky noted that the laws against terror being used in the case are much more severe than criminal laws, a facet that is having a big impact in the unusually harsh treatment of the suspects.

"In criminal law you have to allow the detainee to meet a lawyer within 48 hours, while in the terror law (you have to) only after 21 days," he said.

"Ninety-nine percent of the terror law is directed against the true terrorists... and therefore we won't change it and we won't make a law for Arabs and a law for Jews."

"I'll get them if there are more cases"

Slomiansky also spoke about the severe breaches to rights suffered by the suspects -  they have been refused basic religious rights such as lighting Hanukkah candles, been banned from seeing their lawyers or family, and at least one has been denied medical treatment after being beaten during arrest. Recently a suspect was even denied clean underwear.

"If the Shabak (Israel Security Agency) strays from the law and I have rumors that it has strayed, I will not allow it and I will hold a committee discussion and blow up the matter in the discussion I will hold with all the sources in the Duma case," he promised. Lawyers of the suspects have argued that the ISA has already strayed from the law in several serious breaches.

"I sat with the head of the Shabak and told him that, and warned them."

Slomiansky remarked on how a school principal was summoned for investigation several times, just because one of the detainees in the case was at her son's Shabbat Chatan - a traditional celebration with the groom on the Shabbat before the week of the marriage.

The third time she was summoned, they threatened that she would be fired and that they would tell everyone that she is a terror collaborator, said Slomiansky, noting that such behavior without legal orders is a clear digression from the law.

Slomiansky criticized Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon (Likud), saying: "explain to me what it means that 'I have the people in hand but I don't have evidence'? That's absurd. How do you know that they are the people if you don't have evidence? They picked someone and now they're searching for evidence."

"As long as the Shabak works in accordance with the law I can't do anything, but if they stray from the law and I hear about more cases, I'll just blow up the issue - look, you've been warned."