Yossi’s mother, Rivka Filant, spoke with Israel National Radio’s Tovia Singer Wednesday, shortly before Israel's Supreme Court ordered the army to release her son from prison - and to give him another trial.
Detained after he tried to convince the rest of his IDF unit to refuse to participate in the destruction of the two trailer-homes in Givat Lehava, Filant was sentenced to 28 days in army prison in a speed-trial.
Filant was at his brother’s home, 200 feet from the trailer-homes that were to be destroyed, as the incident developed. On furlough from the army, the young sergeant was alarmed to see hundreds of police officers and Border Policemen climbing up towards Lehavah Hill. When he saw his own army buddies coming to destroy the structures, he called out, "Why are you doing this? This is a Jewish home! Why are you trying to tear it down? Please stop!”
At first, his fellow soldiers listened to him, looking at him and responding passively. Finally Border Police officers arrived and, according to Rivkah Filant, “quite brutally carried him out, bringing him to the police station in Ariel and then to the Military Police.”
“They are making an example of him,” Rivkah Filant told Tovia Singer. Her son began his 28 days in prison following what his lawyer told the Supreme Court was "a five-minute show-trial."
In a two-to-one Supreme Court decision, Justices Edmond Levy and Elyakim Rubinstein ruled that Filant's court martial was carried out improperly. They ruled that because the accused was not allowed to present witnesses, consult with a lawyer or examine the evidence against him, the IDF was required to offer Filant a new trial. Only Justice Mishael Cheshin dissented.
Justice Levy said angrily, "When we are asked to approve a 24-hour extension of custody, we check it very carefully - but 28 days in army prison you didn't have
time to check?!"
“He is in very good spirits,” Rivka said about her son, “though he doesn’t understand why he was put in jail. He simply spoke his mind to his friends with whom he serves every day... I am not worried about his morale, because he has the confidence of a person who knows he did the right thing.”
Mrs. Filant said that though she worried about her son at first, she knows things will turn out OK. “I see that my son is a soldier.” she said. “When he was in yeshiva he was a soldier and when he was in the army he was a soldier, and in prison he is a soldier. Instead of me being the one who comforts him, it is he who strengthens us.”
Not only Yossi, but supporters throughout Israel who view Filant’s act as one of heroism have contacted the family. “In the beginning I received telephone calls,” Rivkah said. “I was in Jerusalem a few days ago and saw signs supporting what Yossi has done.” Not all the responses have been positive, though: “Eventually we turned off our phone for a few days, mostly due to very obnoxious intrusions by the press.”
The Supreme Court decision accepted the petition by Filent's attorney that his client had not been permitted to present his case with evidence and witnesses. Although Filent requested that the Supreme Court try his case, the Court decided to send the case back to the IDF's military court.
Sergeant Filant, his attorney, and supporters across Israel and the world continue to argue that the order to expel Jews from their homes in Israel is an illegal one.
The Filants have set up a website, AboutYossi.org, with information about Yossi and his struggle.
Detained after he tried to convince the rest of his IDF unit to refuse to participate in the destruction of the two trailer-homes in Givat Lehava, Filant was sentenced to 28 days in army prison in a speed-trial.
Filant was at his brother’s home, 200 feet from the trailer-homes that were to be destroyed, as the incident developed. On furlough from the army, the young sergeant was alarmed to see hundreds of police officers and Border Policemen climbing up towards Lehavah Hill. When he saw his own army buddies coming to destroy the structures, he called out, "Why are you doing this? This is a Jewish home! Why are you trying to tear it down? Please stop!”
At first, his fellow soldiers listened to him, looking at him and responding passively. Finally Border Police officers arrived and, according to Rivkah Filant, “quite brutally carried him out, bringing him to the police station in Ariel and then to the Military Police.”
“They are making an example of him,” Rivkah Filant told Tovia Singer. Her son began his 28 days in prison following what his lawyer told the Supreme Court was "a five-minute show-trial."
In a two-to-one Supreme Court decision, Justices Edmond Levy and Elyakim Rubinstein ruled that Filant's court martial was carried out improperly. They ruled that because the accused was not allowed to present witnesses, consult with a lawyer or examine the evidence against him, the IDF was required to offer Filant a new trial. Only Justice Mishael Cheshin dissented.
Justice Levy said angrily, "When we are asked to approve a 24-hour extension of custody, we check it very carefully - but 28 days in army prison you didn't have
time to check?!"
“He is in very good spirits,” Rivka said about her son, “though he doesn’t understand why he was put in jail. He simply spoke his mind to his friends with whom he serves every day... I am not worried about his morale, because he has the confidence of a person who knows he did the right thing.”
Mrs. Filant said that though she worried about her son at first, she knows things will turn out OK. “I see that my son is a soldier.” she said. “When he was in yeshiva he was a soldier and when he was in the army he was a soldier, and in prison he is a soldier. Instead of me being the one who comforts him, it is he who strengthens us.”
Not only Yossi, but supporters throughout Israel who view Filant’s act as one of heroism have contacted the family. “In the beginning I received telephone calls,” Rivkah said. “I was in Jerusalem a few days ago and saw signs supporting what Yossi has done.” Not all the responses have been positive, though: “Eventually we turned off our phone for a few days, mostly due to very obnoxious intrusions by the press.”
The Supreme Court decision accepted the petition by Filent's attorney that his client had not been permitted to present his case with evidence and witnesses. Although Filent requested that the Supreme Court try his case, the Court decided to send the case back to the IDF's military court.
Sergeant Filant, his attorney, and supporters across Israel and the world continue to argue that the order to expel Jews from their homes in Israel is an illegal one.
The Filants have set up a website, AboutYossi.org, with information about Yossi and his struggle.