Two brothers from Judea and Samaria were arrested this week after surviving a rock attack by Arabs in the Binyamin region. The arrests came when they arrived at the police station to file a complaint about the assault.
The Jerusalem Magistrates Court rejected the police’s request to extend their detention and ordered their immediate release, issuing sharp criticism of the investigators’ handling of the case.
The incident took place last Wednesday, when a family traveling toward the community of Kfar Tarfon in western Binyamin was ambushed by dozens of Arabs from the villages of Atara and Arura.
The attackers hurled stones at the vehicle from close range and tried to block the family’s path. The father, who sustained light injuries, fired warning shots in the air in self-defense, dispersing the mob. One of his sons managed to drive the family to safety.
After the attack, the father and one of his sons went to the Binyamin police station to file a complaint. To their surprise, both were detained and interrogated under caution. A second son was later arrested. The father was released during the night, but the two brothers remained in custody.
At a hearing the next day, Jerusalem Magistrates Court Judge Chavi Toker ruled that the arrests were unjustified.
“The investigation material does not establish any suspicion of a criminal offense,” she wrote, ordering the brothers’ immediate and unconditional release.
Despite the court’s decision, police have yet to return the father’s firearm, which he used in self-defense during the attack.
Attorney Adi Keidar of the Honenu legal organization, representing the family, said:
“An Arab mob carried out a lynch attempt against a Jewish family that was saved only by a miracle, yet none of the attackers were arrested. Instead, the victims found themselves under investigation. Thankfully, the judge saw the truth and ordered their release. The police must learn to distinguish between attacker and victim and focus on protecting citizens.”