Five residents of Yitzhar, a Jewish town near Shechem (Nablus) in the Shomron, are still under arrest, after stopping an Arab from running off with some of their neighbor's sheep. The five are appealing their remand in the Supreme Court today.
The incident took place on Wednesday, when the Arab arrived in Yitzhar, pointed to some sheep he claimed were stolen from him, and began taking them away, with the encouragement of the police. The Jewish residents nearby protested, maintaining that the sheep were purchased by one of their number and that some of them were even born in his possession. Violence ensued, and five Jews - including the community's security officer - were arrested. The Magistrates Court ordered them released, but the police appealed to the District Court, which accepted their appeal. The matter has now been taken to the Supreme Court.
"The police has simply now become also the judge, and also the executor of the law. Amazingly, it allows an Arab in to the community to steal a Jew's flock, and then when the security team is alerted and called to the site, the police arrest them on charges of assault and robbery." So said Atty. Baruch Ben-Yosef. The Jews say that the fact that though the Arab charges that his flock was stolen, the Jewish owner of the flock was not arrested, but only the members of the security team - a fact that proves that the entire affair was a scheme to trick them and have them arrested. The police say they have a videocassette of the entire incident - but did not submit it to either of the two lower courts.
The incident took place on Wednesday, when the Arab arrived in Yitzhar, pointed to some sheep he claimed were stolen from him, and began taking them away, with the encouragement of the police. The Jewish residents nearby protested, maintaining that the sheep were purchased by one of their number and that some of them were even born in his possession. Violence ensued, and five Jews - including the community's security officer - were arrested. The Magistrates Court ordered them released, but the police appealed to the District Court, which accepted their appeal. The matter has now been taken to the Supreme Court.
"The police has simply now become also the judge, and also the executor of the law. Amazingly, it allows an Arab in to the community to steal a Jew's flock, and then when the security team is alerted and called to the site, the police arrest them on charges of assault and robbery." So said Atty. Baruch Ben-Yosef. The Jews say that the fact that though the Arab charges that his flock was stolen, the Jewish owner of the flock was not arrested, but only the members of the security team - a fact that proves that the entire affair was a scheme to trick them and have them arrested. The police say they have a videocassette of the entire incident - but did not submit it to either of the two lower courts.