The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court ordered on Thursday that a civilian who was filmed aiming a pistol at haredi demonstrators on Route 1 be released to house arrest.
The suspect will remain under house arrest until June 29th, and is forbidden from contacting individuals involved in the case.
During his hearing, the police claimed that the incident was severe and dangerous. A police representative noted that the suspect admitted to the act, but changed his version after footage of the event was shown to him. According to the police, the suspect claimed at first that the firearm was pointed downward, but in the video, the weapon is seen pointed toward the protesters.
On the other hand, the defense claimed that the incident was short, lasting only seconds, without the weapon being fired or loaded. According to the attorney, the weapon was not unholstered, the suspect's finger was not on the trigger, and the weapon had already been confiscated. "You can see that the incident was a second long, of a person who may have been taking out his anger, perhaps desperate."
The judge ruled that there is a reasonable suspicion that the crime was committed and that a threat with a firearm poses a real danger. That being said, he noted that the suspect does not have a criminal record, that there is no real concern for obstruction of justice, and that the weapon was confiscated.
The ruling states that the incident transpired in a reality of "tension and panic, while law enforcement authorities were not responding." According to the judge, blocking the road "creates a serious hazard, which in itself is also very dangerous to the public."
With this, the judge stressed that it does not reduce the severity of the act attributed to the suspect.
MK Moshe Porush (UTJ) commented on the ruling: "The release from detention of a person who aimed a pistol at participants of the protest yesterday sends a message that sanctions the killing of haredim."