At a demonstration last night in protest of 20 other similar orders handed down in the past weeks and months, police arrested several demonstrators - among them popular author, Torah scholar and counselor Rabbi Shmuel Yaniv. The rally was held outside the Givat Shmuel home of IDF Central Commander Gen. Yair Naveh, who signed the orders.
The protestors held signs reading, for example, "No to Administrative Orders! The Settlers are not the Enemy!" and "They're Expelling Jews Again."
Several others were also arrested, among them Noam Federman of Hevron, but for Rabbi Yaniv, the arrest might have greater significance: He has been arrested in the past for a similar "offense" - taking part in a demonstration against political moves by the government. "I was put on probation last time," he said, "so there might be worse repercussions this time. But the worst that could happen is jail - and it certainly won't be as bad as when Joseph [in the Bible] was thrown into the dungeon; I will have a bed, and a place to learn..."
Over the past few months, some 20 young residents of the Shomron abruptly received military orders preventing them from living in their homes. No reasons were given, and the General Security Service says the "evidence" against them is too secret and potentially dangerous to be publicized to anyone.
The Land of Israel Legal Forum, which recently filed a suit in the Supreme Court on behalf of one of the 20, said the orders "restricting the freedom of an Israeli citizen as an administrative measure" are illegal in that they may be handed down only by virtue of a Knesset law - and not by order of the IDF Commander of the Central District.
The Forum claims that "whenever the government finds itself in a dead end security-wise, diplomatically and/or internationally," the Jewish settlers of Judea and Samaria become the national "punching bag" and bear the brunt of "new, sudden plans to evacuate and destroy outposts and issue exaggeratedly-restrictive orders."
Banned From Home
The orders keeping the young men are generally for between three and six months. Some of the men have families with up to five children, and some have no relatives outside Yesha. At least one has chosen to remain in prison rather than to give in to what he feels is the country's "arbitrary justice."
The orders of one of the 20 were recently reduced somewhat: Ariel Gruner, married with one child, who had been restricted to house arrest in the secular community of Rotem in the Jordan Valley, is now permitted to leave Rotem - but for the next three months, may still not return to Judea and Samaria.
Supporters of the 20 were slightly heartened to find that Gruner's orders were reduced in severity - but the news of the 21st detainee, Akiva Liebowitz, has brought them once again to the realization that the struggle is by no means over.
Liebowitz's brother Elazar was killed, in July 2002, in a Palestinian terrorist roadside shooting attack south of Hevron. Seconds later, the terrorists also murdered Rabbi Yossi and Chana Dickstein, and their ten-year-old son Shuva-el, leaving nine orphans behind. Last week, the Dicksteins' oldest son Tzvi Yehuda celebrated the brit (ritual circumcision) of his first-born son, who received the name of his paternal grandfather.
"Put Them on Trial!"
No evidence or charges have been presented against at least 17 of the 21, and they have no way of defending themselves or protesting their innocence. MK Uri Ariel (National Union), who has initiated Knesset sessions on the issue, explained,
"The issue at hand is the distancing of Israeli citizens without trial. In recent weeks, the State Prosecution, with the recommendation of the security framework, decided to exile 20 men from their homes, to separate them from their families, to keep them from their jobs, and cause them totally unreasonable damage. The investigative body thus becomes the accuser, the judge, and even the one that carries out its own judgment. Truly democracy at its best...
"[The police] should investigate them, put them on trial, keep them in jail until the end of the proceedings if the court approves it, and sentence them to jail if appropriate. But no one [else] may become a judge over Israeli citizens."
Opponents of the administrative orders call upon those who are concerned to express their opinion to Defense Minister Peretz and Prime Minister Olmert .
The protestors held signs reading, for example, "No to Administrative Orders! The Settlers are not the Enemy!" and "They're Expelling Jews Again."
Several others were also arrested, among them Noam Federman of Hevron, but for Rabbi Yaniv, the arrest might have greater significance: He has been arrested in the past for a similar "offense" - taking part in a demonstration against political moves by the government. "I was put on probation last time," he said, "so there might be worse repercussions this time. But the worst that could happen is jail - and it certainly won't be as bad as when Joseph [in the Bible] was thrown into the dungeon; I will have a bed, and a place to learn..."
Over the past few months, some 20 young residents of the Shomron abruptly received military orders preventing them from living in their homes. No reasons were given, and the General Security Service says the "evidence" against them is too secret and potentially dangerous to be publicized to anyone.
The Land of Israel Legal Forum, which recently filed a suit in the Supreme Court on behalf of one of the 20, said the orders "restricting the freedom of an Israeli citizen as an administrative measure" are illegal in that they may be handed down only by virtue of a Knesset law - and not by order of the IDF Commander of the Central District.
The Forum claims that "whenever the government finds itself in a dead end security-wise, diplomatically and/or internationally," the Jewish settlers of Judea and Samaria become the national "punching bag" and bear the brunt of "new, sudden plans to evacuate and destroy outposts and issue exaggeratedly-restrictive orders."
Banned From Home
The orders keeping the young men are generally for between three and six months. Some of the men have families with up to five children, and some have no relatives outside Yesha. At least one has chosen to remain in prison rather than to give in to what he feels is the country's "arbitrary justice."
The orders of one of the 20 were recently reduced somewhat: Ariel Gruner, married with one child, who had been restricted to house arrest in the secular community of Rotem in the Jordan Valley, is now permitted to leave Rotem - but for the next three months, may still not return to Judea and Samaria.
Supporters of the 20 were slightly heartened to find that Gruner's orders were reduced in severity - but the news of the 21st detainee, Akiva Liebowitz, has brought them once again to the realization that the struggle is by no means over.
Liebowitz's brother Elazar was killed, in July 2002, in a Palestinian terrorist roadside shooting attack south of Hevron. Seconds later, the terrorists also murdered Rabbi Yossi and Chana Dickstein, and their ten-year-old son Shuva-el, leaving nine orphans behind. Last week, the Dicksteins' oldest son Tzvi Yehuda celebrated the brit (ritual circumcision) of his first-born son, who received the name of his paternal grandfather.
"Put Them on Trial!"
No evidence or charges have been presented against at least 17 of the 21, and they have no way of defending themselves or protesting their innocence. MK Uri Ariel (National Union), who has initiated Knesset sessions on the issue, explained,
"The issue at hand is the distancing of Israeli citizens without trial. In recent weeks, the State Prosecution, with the recommendation of the security framework, decided to exile 20 men from their homes, to separate them from their families, to keep them from their jobs, and cause them totally unreasonable damage. The investigative body thus becomes the accuser, the judge, and even the one that carries out its own judgment. Truly democracy at its best...
"[The police] should investigate them, put them on trial, keep them in jail until the end of the proceedings if the court approves it, and sentence them to jail if appropriate. But no one [else] may become a judge over Israeli citizens."
Opponents of the administrative orders call upon those who are concerned to express their opinion to Defense Minister Peretz and Prime Minister Olmert .