Indictment documents were filed today (Sunday) at the Jerusalem District Court against four left-wing activists for their involvement in arson incidents during a protest against the government held earlier this month in the Rehavia neighborhood of Jerusalem. The defendants are Mark Feigel, Amos Doron, Shmuel Reuveni and Eyal Giller.
According to the indictments, Feigel led the organization and, together with the other defendants, planned to create a "ring of fire" around the prime minister's residence on Azza Street. They set up a group on the Signal messaging app called "Smoking Together", and held a preparatory meeting in the Shilat industrial area where tasks were distributed and instructions were given to bring bottles of gasoline, dark clothing and disguises.
In the early morning of the day of the protest, the defendants set fire to five recycling bins out of six planned locations. Some of the arsons occurred near residential buildings and parked vehicles.
Amos Doron arrived at Ben Maimon Boulevard at the corner of Arlozorov disguised with a fake beard and hat. He poured an accelerant into the recycling bin, threw in a soaked jute cloth and started a fire that spread to vegetation adjacent to a residential building. Doron was nearly harmed by the flames but fled the scene, removed his disguise and reported in the group, "I carried out the arson."
Shmuel Reuveni went to Molcho Square while wearing a green hat. He threw newspapers and an accelerant into the recycling bin and ignited it with matches. An explosion caused the bin to lift into the air. Reuveni retreated in panic, threw off his hat and shirt during his escape and left behind a fire that spread to nearby vegetation.
Eyal Giller came to Matodela Street, poured an accelerant into another recycling bin and ignited it, causing fire damage to a nearby wall and to the vegetation over the sidewalk. He then fled in a participant's car and reported in the group that the task had been completed.
In a separate incident, an unknown accomplice set fire to a recycling bin on Harlap Street, resulting in the near-total burning of the vehicle of a local resident, Yoav Bar-Yishai, a reservist. Nearby vegetation also burned, building residents were evacuated for safety concerns, and additional damage was caused to another metal bin located nearby.
At another location, a recycling bin on Molcho Street was set on fire by another accomplice.
At the sixth planned location, at the corner of Arlozorov Street and Rabbi Ovadia of Bartenura street, one of the participants changed his mind and did not carry out the arson.
According to the indictments, after completing the arsons Feigel instructed the defendants to make sure the fires were burning, to leave Jerusalem quickly, to turn off their phones and to delete the Signal group. Their acts are attributed to them as offenses of arson, intentional damage, intentional vehicle damage, and obstruction of justice.
At a hearing in court, Judge Mordechai Borshtein ruled that the four will remain in custody until further order. He instructed the probation service to prepare a risk assessment report and stressed, "we cannot take the consequences of arson lightly - they cannot be undone."