Friends and neighbors of Israeli citizen Sagi Shechori, a resident of the western Negev, say they plan to protest Monday over his continued detention in Egypt. Shahori, 36, was arrested over the weekend when he accidently crossed into Egyptian territory while bicycling.
If Shahori is not released, protesters will go to the site of his arrest and demonstrate opposite Egyptian soldiers.
Shechori's supporters say there was no need to arrest him, and certainly not to detain him for over a day. “Sagi was arrested in the demilitarized zone by the Egyptians, after crossing the border at a place where warning signs had been torn out by floodwaters,” said a resident of the western Negev village Kadesh Barnea. “We think the Egyptians need to move on.”
"It seems to us that they've got themselves stuck up a tree, and now it's hard for them to climb back down,” he said.
The resident expressed disappointment in Israel's government, which he said had failed to address the issue. “Enough time has gone by that some government source should have come here and explained what's going on,” he said.
Meanwhile, a 44 year old Israeli, reported as under psychiatric care, swam into Egypt's territorial waters and has also been detained. It seems he has done this once before.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry says it is following both cases closely. Shechori has been taken to Rafiah, at the Egyptian-Gaza border. Reports leaked earlier on Sunday indicated that he may be released within the day.