The video you're about to see below shows Israeli border police tasering Yitzhar resident Boaz Albert. Albert, a father of six, was served with an administrative order forbidding his presence in Judea and and Samaria on August 15. This video was shot that night in Albert's home.
For the Hebrew-impaired, the shouts you hear are:
1. (Apparently Albert's wife) asking to let her remove one of the children so that he does not see his father electric-shocked.
2. Albert himself asking why they are breaking his hand and electrocuting him when he is not resisting arrest.
3. (Apparently a neighbor) asking why is he being dragged out - what has he done.
I don't know what's behind the administrative order, but this video, which has been seen by many here in Israel, is having an effect.
National Police Chief Yochanan Danino suspended the use of tasers by police
while investigators from the police operational branch examine their use by
officers.
The appointment of the investigative team on Sunday follows the arrest
Thursday night of settler Boaz Albert, carried out by YASSAM officers from the
Judea and Samaria District police. The officers delivered electric shocks to
Albert's chest as he lay on his back in his home surrounded by
police.
...
MK Orit Struck (Bayit Yehudi) on Saturday night said that
such administrative restraining orders must be stopped, because they are issued
without any judicial procedures and without any explanation.
In 2007, the
Knesset plenum approved a declaration against administrative restraining orders
issued without judicial procedures, Struck said. It garnered support from many
of the parties in the Knesset including Likud, Kadima, Shas, United Torah
Judaism, Yisrael Beitenu, National Union, Labor and Meretz, Struck
said.
But, she said, the Knesset’s declaration must now be turned into
law.
“I call on everyone who cares about human rights to protest against
the arrest of Boaz Albert whose only crime is his conscientious and justified
refusal to obey an administrative detention order that is anti-democratic and
immoral,” she said.
...
Judea and Samaria police said on Thursday
night, that the district's YASSAM unit tried to arrest Albert when another man
appeared and attempted to prevent the arrest. The decision was made to use force
and a taser was used against him, a spokesman said.
“Boaz Albert did not
resist arrest,” the spokesman added.
On Friday, police described the
incident as follows: “Last night, officers from the Judea and Samaria District’s
YASSAM unit carried out an arrest of a person violating an administrative
restraining order for the third time. In the video you can see that it has been
edited and is biased, but if we ignore that we can still observe the police
conducting themselves with determination and without the use of violence, in
keeping with regulations.”
What a load of lies. They used a taser gun to arrest a suspect who was not resisting who was served with an order that was never brought before a judge. 'Without the use of violence'? Watch the video (which deserves to go viral) again for yourselves.
A District Court in Lod ordered Albert
released on Friday, but his restraining order still stands.
...
Attorney Yitzhak Baum wrote a
letter to the police said that according to the law, the gun could only be used
when a suspect is resisting arrest.
“In this case, the suspect is lying
on the floor and did not resist arrest,” Baum wrote.
And you thought Israel was a democracy....
In the aftermath of the Rabin assassination, administrative detentions were widely used against the opponents of Oslo. This Wikipedia article gives the impression that they are only used against 'Palestinians,' but that's just not so.
The legal basis for Israel's use of Administrative Detention is the British Mandate 1945 Law on Authority in States of Emergency' as amended in 1979. Administrative detention is often used for indefinite detention of Palestinian political prisoners.[20] According to Addameer, Israel held 285 Palestinians in administrative detention in June 2012.[21] Eighteen of them were members of parliament, out of 4,706 political prisoners. According to B'Tselem, as of April 2012, about 308 Palestinians were being held under administrative detention by the Israel Prisons Service and statistics on those held by the IDF were unavailable.[22] According to the Israel Prison Service figures for December 2012, 178 Palestinians were being held in administrative detention (without charge or trial).[23] Administrative detention seems to be mainly used by Israel against individuals not engaged in violent activities.[24]
Administrative detention is also used in cases where the available
evidence consists of information obtained by the security services
(particularly the Shin Bet), and where a trial would reveal sensitive security information, such as the identities of informers or infiltrators.
Although it is commonly applied to alleged Palestinian militants, it
has in the past also a few times been applied to Jewish Israeli
citizens, including Jewish right-wing public-figures and activists (e.g.
in the aftermath of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin) and in more recent years sometimes to settlers for short periods.[25]
Within Israel,
the Defense Minister has the authority to issue Administrative
Detention orders for up to 6 months in cases where there is a reasonable
chance that the person harms the security of the state. The same
Minister has the authority to renew such orders. Likewise, the Chief of
the General Staff can issue such orders, but valid for only 48 hours.
Law enforcement authorities have to show cause within 48 hours (in a
hearing behind closed doors).
Administrative Detention orders can be
appealed to the District Court and, if denied there, to the Supreme Court of Israel.
The District Court can annul such orders if it finds the administrative
detention occurred for reasons other than security (e.g., common
crimes, or the exercise of freedom of expression). Overall supervisory
authority on the application of the relevant law rests with the Minister
of Justice.
Within the West Bank and Gaza Strip,
any local army commander can issue an administrative detention order,
and the order can be appealed at the local military court, or, if denied
there, at the Supreme Court. Here too, an administrative detention
order is valid for at most six months, but can be renewed by the
appropriate authority. Israel refers its use of administrative detention
in the occupied territories to Article 78 of the Fourth Geneva Convention
1949, which states that "If the Occupying Power considers it necessary,
for imperative reasons of security, to take safety measures concerning
protected persons, it may, at the most, subject them to assigned
residence or to internment."[26]
In the aftermath of the Rabin assassination, I argued with someone that administrative detention should be abolished. Yes, even for 'Palestinians.' It's nothing but an excuse for prosecutorial laziness. If you want to hold someone, charge him with something. If you can't charge him with something, you shouldn't hold him. Judges hear 'secret evidence' all the time in every western country. And orders telling people to stay away from certain areas ought to be only to protect persons in those areas (e.g. abused spouses) and not because the police want to punish a man by keeping him away from his own home.
One other thing that should be pointed out. The Yassam unit of the border police is notorious for brutality and for its membership largely consisting of 'minorities' (Druze and Bedouin Arabs who are less than sympathetic to Israeli Jews). They were the perpetrators of the Amona incident seven years ago. Sadly, the government has done nothing to curb their brutality since. It's time for that to change.
And you thought Israel was a democracy? Well, it's still the closest thing to a democracy in the Middle East, but it's government is less than representative and its 'civil rights' leave a lot to be desired. Even for Jews.
And again: 'Palestinian' terrorist murders Israeli
An Israeli father of five was murdered on Tuesday morning at the Tapuach Junction in Northern Samaria by a 'Palestinian' terrorist.
An Israeli was killed in a terror attack at the Tapuah junction in
the northern West Bank on Tuesday morning, when he was attacked by a
Palestinian man at a hitchhiking spot at the junction.
The
Palestinian terrorist came up from behind the victim, identified as
Evyatar Borovsky, and then stabbed him in the chest, Judea and Samaria
Division Capt. Barak Raz told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
Security forces are now seeking to verify whether the suspect acted
alone or was part of a larger terrorist organization. Initial
indications are that he acted alone.
Raz said army medical teams attempted to save Borovsky's life on the scene, but were unsuccessful.
"We're
investigating whether the terrorist discharged bullets from the weapon
he stole before or after security forces opened fire," Raz added.
...
The Border Police said minutes after the attack that a terrorist armed
with a knife attacked a settler at a hitching post, stole the man's gun
and fired at Border Patrol officers who were nearby. The officers
returned fire and wounded the man, and then took him into custody, the
Border Police said.
...
Avraham Benyamin, spokesman for Yitzhar, said Borovsky was a native
of Kfar Hasidim who had been living in Yitzhar with his wife and five
chldren for five years.
Benyamin said Borovsky had been a theater actor in a number of performance troupes and served on Yitzhar's security team.
In
a response to the murder, Benyamin said on behalf of the settlement
"the writing was on the wall, written in blood. This murder was a direct
refusal of the government's leniency towards rock-throwing terrorism
and the continued increase in terror attacks against Jews across Judea
and Samaria."
He added that the settlement demands a "painful and
serious response to erase the shame of this incident and in order to
show the residents that their lives are not worthless."
A preliminary investigation of the incident suggested
that the terrorist, a resident of Tulkarem, arrived at the junction
armed with a knife. He stabbed the victim, who was waiting at a
hitchhiking stop, several times in the chest, and grabbed his handgun.
He then opened fire at a nearby Border Police patrol and subsequently
tried to flee, but the police officers returned fire and subdued him.
According to a Border Police spokesman, the perpetrator had run into a
roadblock, preventing him from causing more damage with the stolen gun.
...
According to
media reports, the terrorist had been released from an Israeli prison,
where he served a three-year sentence for throwing rocks, less than six
months ago. The terrorist's brother, who is currently jailed in the
Palestinian Authority, faced trial on Sunday for allegedly cooperating
with Israel. Speculation has been raised that the terrorist may have
committed the attack in order to restore his family's honor.
Later Tuesday, Israel Defense Forces troops raided the home of the perpetrator, named as Salam Za'al, Israeli media reported.
Borovsky was the youngest of four brothers,
and has been living in the settlement of Yitzhar for five years. He
worked as an actor in several ensembles and was a part of the Yitzhar
security team. His eldest son is seven years old.
IDF investigating another incident in which revenant allegedly shot a 'Palestinian'
The IDF is investigating an incident in which a revenant allegedly shot a 'Palestinian' on Saturday. Here's raw video of part of the incident. This time you won't see the shooting.
Let's go to the videotape.
In case you're wondering, the soldier is shouting oofoo mipo (get out of here) in Hebrew. Here's more about the incident.
A man from the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar shot and wounded a Palestinian man on Saturday in a clash that began when a group of settlers set fire to fields belonging to a Palestinian village, officials said.
Residents said about 25 settlers, some of them carrying guns, set fire to wheat fields in the village of Orif, which is near the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
Some villagers came out to extinguish the fire and clashed with the settlers, said Nablus official Kassan Daglas.
During the clash, a settler shot and wounded one Palestinian, the IDF said, adding that security forces were sent to the scene to break up the violence.
Sorry, but I don't buy this account. I have little doubt that the revenants of Yitzhar would shoot a 'Palestinian' in self-defense. What I don't buy about this incident is that I don't believe that the revenants started it. There is no way the Orthodox Jews of Yitzhar set fires anywhere on the Sabbath. Something happened before, the 'Palestinians' set the fires, or both. In the meantime, I haven't seen any responses from the revenants, which is not surprising given that the Sabbath was followed immediately by the holiday.
B'Tselem and Haaretz release video of revenants shooting at 'Palestinian' attackers
B'Tselem has released a video that it claims was shot on Saturday afternoon near Yitzhar in Samaria. In the video, you will see a revenant shooting at stone-throwing 'Palestinians.'
Note that while the revenants clearly shot, the fire was clearly behind them toward the village which, as you will see below, strengthens their version of the story.
Notice also how the 'Palestinians' flee as soon as someone is hit. That makes me (and maybe you) wish that someone would open fire on 'Palestinian' stonethrowers more often. Throwing stones is not non-violent.
B'Tselem is demanding that the revenants be brought up on charges and that the IDF soldiers be investigated for standing by.
The IDF Spokesperson said in response that the shooting took place during clashes between settlers of Itzhar and the Palestinian residents of Asira al-Qibliya, in which both sides threw stones. "Upon receiving the report of the incident, security forces arrived at the scene in an effort to separate the sides," the statement said. "There was a shooting during the incident and the matter is being investigated… but on the surface, the video that was released does not seem to represent the whole incident."
The Itzhar settlers said that "the settlement's security squad and volunteer firefighting crew were called to the scene to extinguish a series of fires set by the Arabs from the town." According to them, "this is the third Saturday in a row that Arabs have been setting fires in an attempt to damage Itzhar's western neighborhood."
The settlement spokesman Abraham Benjamin said the movie clearly depicts the shower of stones the security squad received as they shielded the firefighting crew with their bodies, after two of them were hurt beforehand.
"It can be plainly seen that the use of weapons by the IDF or the security team was warranted by a real danger to life. The security forces will investigate the incident," Benjamin added.
Sorry guys, but I highly doubt the deeply religious Jewish residents of Yitzhar left the boundary of their town on the Sabbath unless there was a provocation. No way.
Statement on police raid on Yitzhar on Monday morning
I received the following statement from David HaIvri of the Shomron Liaison Office.
At 4:30 this morning a staggering 200 elite police officers were mobilized in cooperation with the Shabak, in an operation to detain 4 law-abiding citizens in their homes and to confiscate a small number of computers in the Shomron community of Yitzhar, after a prolonged search. No reason for this enormous waste of police time and manpower has yet been given, and all 4 men have now been released without charge. These men were simply practicing their legitimate right to free speech by broadcasting legally over the Internet. This police action raises great concern about the right of free expression in this country while Israeli citizens are being detain and harassed for publishing their views on the internet.
But more importantly, the people of Israel will quite rightly be asking where this apparent show of police strength came from. In Jerusalem and across Judea and Samaria, an extreme-left coalition of foreigners, anarchists and local Arab have been wreaking havoc and perpetrating repeated violent assaults on Jewish residents of those areas.
We call for the Israeli police to cease its role as a political tool for the left and to return to its function as protector of the Israeli citizen from rising crime and extreme left-wing violence.
US consulate in Jerusalem spying on Samaria residents?
Is the US consulate in Jerusalem trying to spy on Jewish residents of Samaria? That's certainly what it sounds like from this story.
The story began about a month ago, when Jonathan Cullen, Political Officer at American Consulate in Jerusalem, phoned a resident of the town of Yitzhar and asked to visit the community.
“He said he wanted to meet with me,” said Avraham Binyamin, “as well as with the rabbis of the Od Yosef Chai (Joseph Still Lives) yeshiva, and to hear about the book Torat HaMelekh.” Binyamin told INN that he feared that the request had an ulterior motive, as the book in question has aroused much controversy and opposition; it deals with “Jewish warfare in Jewish Law,” including discussions of if and when Jewish Law permits killing enemy civilians.
Upon further investigation, Binyamin found that his instincts were correct: Cullen had been “caught red-handed” several months earlier touring the Shomron and taking photos of Jewish towns together with the head of Peace Now’s Settlement Tracking Committee, Hagit Ofran .
David HaIvri of the Shomron Regional Council's Liaison Office, who was personally acquainted with Cullen, asked the consular officer at the time, “Are you a spy?”
Binyamin informed Cullen, just a few days ago, that he did not want to meet with him, and that if wished to pursue the matter, he should do so via conventional channels.
Binyamin later explained why he felt the American's behavior is unacceptable: “If the Americans want to act as fair interlocutors, they have to be fair – and not act like a group of con-men who conceal information from their dialogue partners… They are trying every which way they can to find out internal information – and are essentially spying on the Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria.”
Another terror attack you won't read about in the MSM
Here's another terror attack you won't read about in the mainstream media - because this one didn't happen. The IDF prevented it.
Soldiers at an IDF post near the Samaria town of Yitzhar – not far from Itamar, the site of the murder of the Fogel family just weeks ago – detected an attempted invasion of Arab terrorists on Friday night. The two terrorists who were attempting to get into the town escaped after a chase by IDF troops and the town's security brigade.
Soldiers detected two suspicious looking characters outside the town's security perimeter fence at about midnight Friday. The two were detected when they were about 150 meters from the fence, and were continuing to advance towards it. Troops focused a searchlight on them and called on them to halt, but the two began running away, escaping to a nearby Arab village. IDF troops entered the village in a search for the terrorists, but were unable to find them.
Imagine if - God forbid - there had been another Fogel-like massacre.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
