Omer Rahamim, CEO of the Yesha Council, joined calls for the release of a soldier accused of killing a Palestinian Arab and for an end to the restrictive conditions of his interrogation. The 25-year-old reservist from Samaria is being questioned by the Shin Bet and has been denied a meeting with legal counsel.
In a sharply worded post on his X account, Rahamim described the situation as “a disgrace." He wrote: “A reserve soldier is being held in a Shin Bet facility, denied access to a lawyer and without having seen a doctor. I call on the Shin Bet to come to its senses and stop the questionable practice of denying access to legal counsel-especially when we are talking about a heroic soldier who risked his life in the war."
Rahamim emphasized that the rights of suspects are a fundamental democratic principle, not a privilege granted at discretion.
The soldier, a graduate of a pre-military academy who served hundreds of reserve days in the Duchifat Battalion during the war, is suspected of involvement in the killing of an Arab during an incident about a month ago near the village of Qusra. On Saturday, the exceptional order preventing him from meeting a lawyer was extended by three more days.
On Friday, a judge of the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court, Israel Patt, lifted the gag order on the investigation and allowed it to be reported that Arabs had initially attacked Jewish shepherds during the incident. Judge Patt also instructed the Shin Bet to ensure the soldier receives urgent medical attention.
Attorney Nati Rom from the Honenu, who represents the soldier, criticized the conduct of law enforcement authorities. According to him, none of the Arab rioters who attacked the shepherds were arrested or investigated, while the soldier who came to defend them now finds himself under what he called “draconian orders."
“This is an absurd situation," Rom said. “A soldier who dedicates his life to defending the state is being interrogated by the Shin Bet while Hamas issues a statement supporting the rioters. I call on the authorities to immediately reverse this harm to our heroic fighters."