Shortly after the close of Rosh Hashanah, three Jews were detained and released after interrogation in what appears to be intentional harassment by the Yehuda and Shomron Police.

At 3:00 AM on Wednesday, 3 Tishrei, on Tzom Gedalyah, police detectives from the Central Unit of the Yehuda and Shomron Police and Shin Bet personnel raided the home of a Givat Sneh Yaakov (Givat Ronen) resident and detained him in front of his children. Simultaneously a resident of the Har Hebron region was detained while he slept at his parents in-law’s home in Jerusalem. The police had court-issued warrants issued approximately 10 days prior to the detention.

The two detainees were taken to the Central Unit of the Yehuda and Shomron Police Station and interrogated on suspicion of throwing rocks during a clash with Arabs in the region of the village of Burin approximately two years ago. They denied all charges and were released after interrogation.

In an additional incident, at night after the close of Rosh Hashanah, police detectives from the Central Unit of the Yehuda and Shomron Police arrived at the home of a youth in Ramle and detained him with a detention warrant signed approximately two months ago. The police decided to use the warrant specifically several hours after a holiday, even though the youth was under house arrest at night by administrative order and was at his home on a constant basis.

He was interrogated on suspicion of having met four months ago with a youth with whom he was forbidden by administrative order issued by the Home Front Command to make contact. According to the police the two youths met while each was on a trip in the north of Israel. The detained youth was interrogated and released in the middle of the night.

Honenu states it severely criticizes the conduct of the Yehuda and Shomron District Police and intends to demand an examination of these cases and of the demands by the police for detention warrants for old events about which no attempts have been made to summon for interrogation in the customary way the people involved. Honenu is also considering filing suit against those responsible for the detentions.

Honenu: “Why are homes being raided in the middle of the night as if the detainees are dangerous criminals? For two years the police did nothing with the case and suddenly these individuals are dangerous? For two months the police held a detention warrant on a youth and then suddenly decided that hours after Rosh Hashanah is an appropriate time to raid his parents’ home? The police knew from the start that they have no evidence implicating the detainees, who would be released after a few hours. So why did the police raid homes and detain fathers in front of their children in the middle of the night? The detentions appear to be intentional harassment. There must be an outcry against this.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)