Police during the early morning hours of Tuesday, 5 Menachem Av, arrested youths from Betar Illit suspected of taking part in so-called price tag attacks. The males in custody are from chareidi homes, suspected of targeting property in the neighboring Arab village of Hussan in recent weeks.

Three masked men were documented when they punctured tires and sprayed graffiti in the village, including: “Stone-throwers come from Hussan”.

The youths, who were arrested on suspicion that they were these masked individuals, deny any connection to the attacks. Attorney Itamar Ben-Givir, who represents one of them, is certain that “the police have no evidence against my client, but the policemen are working on a ‘success system’ and are seeking credit from the court, in the hope that one of the young people will break.

“I hope that the judges will make it clear to the police that the time has come to stop the show arrests, and that the nationalistic crime department must focus on Arab hate crimes that are committed daily – to which police demonstrate a terrible helplessness.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)