The 12-year-old daughter of administrative detainee Noam Federman told Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz on Wednesday, “I am embarrassed by this government, which is imprisoning my father.” This after Mofaz signed an order extending Federman’s incarceration by half a year.
Federman is being held under the 1979 Emergency Powers Detention Law. The law, based on the British Mandatory Emergency Regulations, empowers the Minister of Defense to incarcerate a person for up to six months without trial, charges, or due process of law. The law has been traditionally used by the defense authorities in Israel as a last resort against Arab terrorists who were considered a threat
to public security.
Federman’s daughter Yiska called the Defense Ministry minutes after Mofaz extended the detention order and requested to speak to Mofaz himself but was turned down. The teenage girl left the following message: “I am embarrassed to live under a government that holds my father in administrative detention without a trial or charges. I miss my father very much, as does my mother and all my brothers and sister. I know that you want to do everything in order to break my father, but know this – my six siblings and I are continuing in the way of our father and in the end, you [DM Mofaz] will be the one who will be thrown out of power.”
Chairman of the Rabbinic Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, Rabbi Dov Lior said with regard to Federman’s imprisonment, “It is shocking that in these difficult days, the Defense Minister chooses, along with the Shabak (GSS), to shut the mouths of precious Jews who oppose the fraudulent ‘peace initiatives’ – using legal methods of a third-world country to do so.”
The Defense Minister’s office claims that the extension of Noam Federman’s administrative detention came after, “unmistakable proof was shown demonstrating Federman’s involvement in causing, engineering and encouraging acts of terror [against Arabs].”
“As a matter if fact,” claimed a spokesperson for the Defense Minister’s office, “in the past half-year there have not been any acts of terror from his circles – without him the attacks don’t happen.”
Defense spokesmen further explained that, “the decision to extend his detention was not easy; we consulted all the security bodies, but the decision of the Defense Minister and members of the Shabak was that terrorism had been prevented ever since Federman was arrested.”
“Various legal considerations have delayed a guilty verdict against him, but we are working constantly to formulate a guilty verdict in his case,” said Mofaz.
“This is intentional abuse,” said Orit Struk, spokesperson for the Jewish Community of Hevron, where Federman lives. “Noam lives opposite my home and I know he went under house arrest for many months. How did he organize terrorism from his house? How did he coordinate terror from his jail cell? I don’t understand these deceptions,” said Struk.
Last December, Meretz Knesset member Zehava Gal’on called for Federman’s immediate release if charges were not brought against him. “If the police have evidence against him, then let them file charges; otherwise, he must be let go,” Gal’on said, adding, “It is disgraceful that I, as chairperson of the Meretz faction, have to demand Federman’s release.”
Activists are working on behalf of Federman from all sides of the political spectrum. They are calling upon the public to send letters of protest to Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz at: mailto:sar@mod.gov.il .
Federman is being held under the 1979 Emergency Powers Detention Law. The law, based on the British Mandatory Emergency Regulations, empowers the Minister of Defense to incarcerate a person for up to six months without trial, charges, or due process of law. The law has been traditionally used by the defense authorities in Israel as a last resort against Arab terrorists who were considered a threat
to public security.
Federman’s daughter Yiska called the Defense Ministry minutes after Mofaz extended the detention order and requested to speak to Mofaz himself but was turned down. The teenage girl left the following message: “I am embarrassed to live under a government that holds my father in administrative detention without a trial or charges. I miss my father very much, as does my mother and all my brothers and sister. I know that you want to do everything in order to break my father, but know this – my six siblings and I are continuing in the way of our father and in the end, you [DM Mofaz] will be the one who will be thrown out of power.”
Chairman of the Rabbinic Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, Rabbi Dov Lior said with regard to Federman’s imprisonment, “It is shocking that in these difficult days, the Defense Minister chooses, along with the Shabak (GSS), to shut the mouths of precious Jews who oppose the fraudulent ‘peace initiatives’ – using legal methods of a third-world country to do so.”
The Defense Minister’s office claims that the extension of Noam Federman’s administrative detention came after, “unmistakable proof was shown demonstrating Federman’s involvement in causing, engineering and encouraging acts of terror [against Arabs].”
“As a matter if fact,” claimed a spokesperson for the Defense Minister’s office, “in the past half-year there have not been any acts of terror from his circles – without him the attacks don’t happen.”
Defense spokesmen further explained that, “the decision to extend his detention was not easy; we consulted all the security bodies, but the decision of the Defense Minister and members of the Shabak was that terrorism had been prevented ever since Federman was arrested.”
“Various legal considerations have delayed a guilty verdict against him, but we are working constantly to formulate a guilty verdict in his case,” said Mofaz.
“This is intentional abuse,” said Orit Struk, spokesperson for the Jewish Community of Hevron, where Federman lives. “Noam lives opposite my home and I know he went under house arrest for many months. How did he organize terrorism from his house? How did he coordinate terror from his jail cell? I don’t understand these deceptions,” said Struk.
Last December, Meretz Knesset member Zehava Gal’on called for Federman’s immediate release if charges were not brought against him. “If the police have evidence against him, then let them file charges; otherwise, he must be let go,” Gal’on said, adding, “It is disgraceful that I, as chairperson of the Meretz faction, have to demand Federman’s release.”
Activists are working on behalf of Federman from all sides of the political spectrum. They are calling upon the public to send letters of protest to Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz at: mailto:sar@mod.gov.il .