Meir Ettinger at a hearing
Meir Ettinger at a hearingAmmar Awad/Reuters

Administrative detainee Meir Ettinger, who has been held without charge for over seven months, has lodged a request to be released for his firstborn son's brit milah (circumcision).

Ettinger is currently being held in Beer Sheva's Eshel Prison. He was arrested in the aftermath of the Duma arson, with security services claiming he is the ringleader of an informal organization of "Jewish extremists" - but admitting he is not linked in any way to the deadly attack itself.

He has yet to be charged with any crime, and mounted a 17-day hunger-strike in protest of the harsh conditions of his detention, which includes very little contact with his family. 

Under administrative detention - usually reserved for Arab terrorists deemed as "ticking timebombs" - suspects can be held indefinitely without trial if they are deemed to pose an immediate threat to the public.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon initially signed an order jailing Ettinger for six months, which he renewed for a further four months in February.

On Tuesday Ettinger's attorney, Sima Kochav of the Honenu legal rights group, submitted a request for her client to be allowed to attend the brit of his son, which is scheduled to take place next week.

"Mr. Ettinger became a father a number of days ago, and requests to exercise his right to partake in his son's brit milah," Kochav wrote in her petition. "The request has been passed on to the Israel Prosecution Service and is currently under examination by all relevant parties.

"We are confident that that his request will be accepted and he will be allowed to take part in the emotional event - the brit of his firstborn son."