Beersheva District Court Judge Yisrael Pablo Axelrod rejected the petition filed by Honenu Attorney Sima Kochav on behalf of administrative detainee Meir Ettinger and ruled that he will not be permitted to participate in his son’s bris, which is expected to take place on Monday, 25 Adar-II. Judge Axelrod ruled that Ettinger poses a danger to the public.
The ISA and the Prison Service opposed allowing Ettinger furlough to attend his firstborn son’s brit milah, even with the accompaniment of prison guards, which is an accepted practice even for prisoners convicted of serious crimes, including prisoners convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. In contrast, Ettinger is being held in administrative detention, has not been indicted and there is no evidence against him. The Prison Service suggested that the brit milah be held at the prison.
Honenu intends to file an appeal on the decision with the Supreme Court of Israel demanding that Ettinger be allowed leave to participate in the brit milah.
Honenu Attorney Sima Kochav, who is representing Meir Ettinger, said in response to the ruling that, “We are disappointed by the decision. There is a very hard feeling that the persons responsible for granting the authorization for the furlough did not act with integrity and are persecuting Meir Ettinger. It is important to stress that Ettinger is an administrative detainee and not a criminal prisoner.
Dangerous criminal prisoners are allowed furloughs and Meir Ettinger is being held behind bars, without being indicted, only because of his opinions, and not because of any specific danger he poses. Therefore, there is no cause to prevent his going on furlough for the brit milah.”
In Jerusalem, on motzei Shabbos, approximately 30 relatives of Meir Ettinger demonstrated at the String Bridge at the entrance to Jerusalem in protest of his administrative detention. The protesters called on the authorities to allow Ettinger participate in the brit milah of his firstborn son, which is expected to take place on Monday.
Ettinger has been under administrative detention since early August 2015 and has been held in solitary since October 7, 2015. Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon signed the order for the administrative detention, which was authorized on September 20, 2015 by the Lod District Court. At the end of the first period of administrative detention, following the recommendation of the Jewish Department of the ISA, Ya’alon signed a new four-month order extending the administrative detention. On February 23, 2016 Central District Court Judge Avraham Tal approved the order.
Ettinger is being held in solitary in a separate wing and is permitted to speak by telephone to only some of his closest relatives. On January 18 Ettinger went on a 17-day hunger strike in protest of his remand conditions.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
The Satmar Rebbe zt”l was right. The zionist state of israel has no more connection to yiddishkeit than the Vatican. Where is the yiddishe midda of ahvas yisroel? Is the state of israel so unsure of itself that it cannot let a new young father out of jail, where he is languishing not accused of any crime, to attend his son’s bris even if accompanied by prison guards? The “Supreme Court” now has an ideal opportunity to show that it is not the poodle of the left wing as it is so often accused of being.
Meir Ettinger is true prisoner of Zion.
This is what is called socialism. I wonder why Israel prides themselves as being the only democracy in the middle east. They act just like Saudi Arabia, turkey, etc. Where political prisoners are accused of everything that can’t be proven. It’s called administrative detention without due cause. I have to agree with the anti Zionists on this one. They are against Judaism, as well as against democracy. Difference of opinion is only an issue in a true socialist “democracy”.
@1 “The Satmar Rebbe zt”l was right”
Funny you’re quoting the Satmar Rebbe in defence of an extreme mizrachi who tried to stir up violence in Eretz Yisroel. I’m not sure the Rebbe would appreciate it
“which is an accepted practice even for prisoners convicted of serious crimes, including prisoners convicted of murder”
The point isn’t how serious the crime was. The point is whether he “poses a danger to the public”. The judge involved had access to the details of the case (which YWN doesn’t) and the possibility that he is right certainly exists.
The fact that he hasn’t been formally charged is meaningless, everyone knows in cases like this there are complications. Its like saying all the guantanamo bay prisoners aren’t dangers to the public because they weren’t formally charged
#5,gavriel613
Yous sound like good Bolshevik. The fascist State of “Israel” needs people like you.
Moishingolus, I will stand with #5. When we learn the parshios regarding setting up courts and a law system, I sense that many will be shocked when that plays in actuality (G-D willing soon by the third Beis Hamikdash). When one has Tzaras from speaking loshon hara and is separated from the community, will you question those laws too? The fact of the matter is gavriel is 100% right. We aren’t presented with the full details of the case/situation, and we aren’t assigned as judges.
TGIShabbos, the ones who “speaking loshon hara” against fellow Yiden are you and gavriel613. It looks like you are paying only lip service to “learn the parshios regarding setting up courts and a law system”. You compare laws of Sodom State to laws of Torah? Show me any law of Torah that justifies imprisoning a Yid for 7 month without any charges.