Like some 20 other young men, both married and single, from communities all over Judea and Samaria, Albert received administrative orders several months ago banning him from his home. Valid for between three months and a year, the orders were signed by IDF Central Region Commander Maj.-Gen. Yair Naveh.
The men were not informed why they were deemed a "public danger," and were merely told that the evidence was too secret to be publicized.
It was widely assumed that the purpose of the orders was to prevent active opposition to the plans to destroy the Jewish presence in hilltop outposts in Yesha (Judea and Samaria). Two weeks ago, in a move initiated by the MKs of the National Union-NRP faction and supported by all the non-Arab factions, the Knesset voted to accept a resolution condemning the orders.
The Knesset resolved, as MK Uri Ariel said at the time, that 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."
These efforts at having the orders revoked were unsuccessful - until yesterday, when Boaz Albert was informed that he will soon be on his way home.
Father of five, Boaz was one of those who received the orders keeping him away from his home for a full year. He received them on the day his baby daughter was born. For over four months, he was effectively homeless and separated from his family - until he finally decided not to comply with the orders. He returned home, and was promptly placed in jail for two months.
Yesterday, Shabak agents met with Boaz, later telling him they would recommend that the orders against him be withdrawn.
"It still must go through the IDF Commander who signed the orders," Boaz's wife told Arutz-7 today, "and there are also some court technicalities, but we are hoping that he will be home within a few days. If he is home for Shabbat, even better!"
Very cheerful but determined, Mrs. Albert said she cannot understand the General Security Service or the government: "They met with Boaz this week and asked him to state his views. He said the same thing that he has always said, for instance, that he is against violence against soldiers. He has always said this, and there has been no change in his views - yet all of a sudden, they decide to release him. So why did they arrest him in the first place? And what about the champions of democracy - is it democratic to arrest someone and throw him in jail without showing him the evidence against him? Yet this does not stop them."
Mrs. Albert said that Boaz never wanted to comply with the orders:
"Ideologically, he felt that living in the Land and performing G-d's commands overrode the GSS commands. But he wanted to wait for a few of the others in the same situation to join him, so that it would have a stronger effect. Now, he feels bad that he didn't refuse earlier to comply... True, it was harder to be in jail, but when you know you are doing the right thing, various difficulties are much more easily overcome."
Another of the 20 who received the orders was also informed a few days ago that he would be allowed to go home. Of the three others who were in jail together with Boaz, one of them finally agreed to abide by the orders - so that he could be out of jail in time for his new baby to be born - while two young men, aged 20, still remain incarcerated. For several others, the distancing orders have expired on their own.
The men were not informed why they were deemed a "public danger," and were merely told that the evidence was too secret to be publicized.
It was widely assumed that the purpose of the orders was to prevent active opposition to the plans to destroy the Jewish presence in hilltop outposts in Yesha (Judea and Samaria). Two weeks ago, in a move initiated by the MKs of the National Union-NRP faction and supported by all the non-Arab factions, the Knesset voted to accept a resolution condemning the orders.
The Knesset resolved, as MK Uri Ariel said at the time, that 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."
These efforts at having the orders revoked were unsuccessful - until yesterday, when Boaz Albert was informed that he will soon be on his way home.
Father of five, Boaz was one of those who received the orders keeping him away from his home for a full year. He received them on the day his baby daughter was born. For over four months, he was effectively homeless and separated from his family - until he finally decided not to comply with the orders. He returned home, and was promptly placed in jail for two months.
Yesterday, Shabak agents met with Boaz, later telling him they would recommend that the orders against him be withdrawn.
"It still must go through the IDF Commander who signed the orders," Boaz's wife told Arutz-7 today, "and there are also some court technicalities, but we are hoping that he will be home within a few days. If he is home for Shabbat, even better!"
Very cheerful but determined, Mrs. Albert said she cannot understand the General Security Service or the government: "They met with Boaz this week and asked him to state his views. He said the same thing that he has always said, for instance, that he is against violence against soldiers. He has always said this, and there has been no change in his views - yet all of a sudden, they decide to release him. So why did they arrest him in the first place? And what about the champions of democracy - is it democratic to arrest someone and throw him in jail without showing him the evidence against him? Yet this does not stop them."
Mrs. Albert said that Boaz never wanted to comply with the orders:
"Ideologically, he felt that living in the Land and performing G-d's commands overrode the GSS commands. But he wanted to wait for a few of the others in the same situation to join him, so that it would have a stronger effect. Now, he feels bad that he didn't refuse earlier to comply... True, it was harder to be in jail, but when you know you are doing the right thing, various difficulties are much more easily overcome."
Another of the 20 who received the orders was also informed a few days ago that he would be allowed to go home. Of the three others who were in jail together with Boaz, one of them finally agreed to abide by the orders - so that he could be out of jail in time for his new baby to be born - while two young men, aged 20, still remain incarcerated. For several others, the distancing orders have expired on their own.