In two separate hearings, the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court rejected the requests of the Judea and Samaria Central Police District to extend the detention of Jews arrested during protests in the vicinity of the village of Hawara in Samaria, following the stone-throwing that resulted in the injury of several Jewish residents of communities in the region.
In the first case, on Friday, the court rejected a police request to extend the arrest of a resident of one of the "Gav HaHar" communities of Itamar, Elon Moreh, Har Bracha, Yitzhar and satellite villages by seven days and ordered his release on bail with a ban on stopping in PA-controlled Hawara.
The High Court ruled that there was no reasonable suspicion he threw a stone nor that he was involved in conspiracy to commit a crime, and stated that, at most, there was suspicion of insulting a police officer and obstructing a police officer.
In another case, last night (Saturday), the court rejected the police request to extend the detention of two minors and an adult by seven days. They were arrested on Friday during a protest in the village. The court ordered their release on bail at noon today (Sunday).
During last night's hearing, Attorney Nati Rom, who represented the suspects on behalf of the Honenu civil rights organization, asked the police representative whether he knew of any stone-throwing by Arabs in the village. At first, the representative replied that he was not aware of any stone-throwing by Arabs, but only by the Jews. After Rom persisted in this question, the police representative confirmed that there has been massive stone-throwing by Arabs in the village toward Jews.
Attorney Rom said, "Following stone-throwing and Molotov cocktail attacks of Jewish vehicles by bands of terrorists, while Jerusalem is burning, and as residents of Judea and Samaria are being targeted in dozens of terrorist attacks, District Attorney Shai chose to focus on the arrest of Jews who came to protest and save people's lives. The police even submitted an unfounded request to extend the detention by seven days claiming suspicion of a multitude of crimes involving racially based assault.”
"I am happy that the court released my client and determined that at most there is only a suspicion of insulting a police officer. We expect the Israel Police and the security forces to restore security to the citizens and not to bother with trifles but, instead, to focus on the enemies," Rom added.
The Honenu organization represents Jews who have been unfairly treated by police or the justice system, sometimes getting compensation for those found unjustly arrested and held.