The Israel Police spokesperson publshed a rare critiqe of the Mako news website for a report that attributed arson incidents in Beersheba to local criminals.
According to the police, the incidents stem solely from a personal dispute, and the information published by the site's crime reporter Shimon Ifergan, "is false and misleading."
According to the statement, the incident occurred due to a divorce dispute. The suspect, a Be'er Sheva resident in his 30s, was arrested after being recorded at the scenes. His detention was extended by the court.
The police stressed, "The Mako publication is not only incorrect, but misleading, biased and fake," and even added that there is doubt whether the anonymous quotes published were said at all. Police claimed it was an attempt to create panic and present a distorted picture to the public.
The statement also noted that the site has done so before. For example, another report claimed that "a gang of Bedouin youths and children from Gaza" is terrorizing a mall in the city. According to the police, this is a baseless claim - the suspects arrested are Jewish, and there is no communal or national motive for the incidents.