T. Belman. Is it possible that Bennett, Shaked and Netanyahu after having authorized the violence, had no choice but to support it?
Yaalon said extremists behind the Duma arson attack to justice would risk “setting the region on fire,” “They could carry out additional terrorist acts and murder innocents, setting the region on fire,” “We are obligated to fight these terrorist activities. They violate our values and they are dangerous to us all.” With this mentality, it is easy to see why the government supported such extreme measures. But that doesn’t justify them.
Lawyer Keidar criticizes Jewish Home head, noting he has first-hand evidence of torture in Duma case, Shin Bet never denied using violence.
Attorney Adi Keidar of the Honenu legal aid organization, who is representing several Jewish suspects in the lethal Duma arson, sent a stern letter to Jewish Home chairperson Tuesday following the latter’s support of the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) against serious allegations of torturing the suspects.
Bennett continued his statements on Wednesday, condemning the suspects after a confession was extracted from a minor suspect during the course of interrogation, in which he was allegedly sexually abused in addition to other forms of torture such as sleep deprivation. The reported abuse has raised concerns the confession may have been false and inadmissible as evidence.
“I was amazed to hear in the media the full backing you and those in your party gave to the brutal violence used against those being investigated,” wrote Keidar in the letter seen by Arutz Sheva.
Aside from Bennett, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Jewish Home) made similar statements of support for the ISA on Tuesday, as did Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon (Likud).
Keidar emphasized that the ISA has not denied the claims of brutal torture by the suspects even once, “but rather only asked to give this violence legal justification and cover by the authority given to conduct this violence.”
The attorney told Bennett that “the law does not give any agreement to exerting any sort of violence, certainly not of the intensity and sadism committed in this case.”
“What’s more, every intelligent person understands that this sort of activity has not been approved and is not to be approved towards any person under investigation, without distinction between religion, race and gender,” said Keidar.
“First-hand evidence versus third-hand”
The lawyer spoke about the descriptions of torture he has received in testimony from the suspects, including having their bodies pulled into a bow-shape, fierce blows, and strikes to their sensitive organs.
He also noted the attempt of one of the minor suspects to commit suicide by slashing his wrists; the suspect told the court earlier this week that he could not suffer the treatment any longer and was ready to confess to anything they asked him to just to get the interrogation to stop.
The suspect’s arms were found to be covered in numerous scars, providing further backing to his statements.
“I heard and saw first-hand what is happening in the investigation room, unlike you (Bennett) who are fed by claims being voiced by second-person and third-person sources,” wrote Keidar.
“In these circumstances we found the need to turn to you while expressing discontent at this premature and artificial backing (for the ISA),” concluded the lawyer.
As noted, even after the letter was sent, Bennett on Wednesday condemned the suspects, accusing them of trying to “dismantle the state.”
Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is also representing one of the suspects, responded to Bennett on Wednesday, urging him to “speak with the detainees who were already released in the case, to hear first-hand what those detainees underwent, some of whom currently are on sedative pills, instead of taking the Shabak (ISA) briefings at face value.”
Attorney tells ‘naive’ Bennett: ‘Talk to released detainees’
Bennett had said the suspects tried to “dismantle the state of Israel,” after a confession was extracted from Ben-Gvir’s minor client during the course of an interrogation, in which he was allegedly sexually abused in addition to other forms of torture such as sleep deprivation, raising concerns the confession may have been false and inadmissible as evidence.
The Jewish Home head claimed that the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) did not hang the suspects by their hands and feet, and discounted the testimony of a minor suspect who told the court this week he attempted suicide because he could not bear the torture any longer. The suspect’s arms were found to be covered in numerous scars, providing further backing to his statements.
“The interrogation isn’t sympathetic because they are keeping quiet…do you prefer to believe Itamar Ben-Gvir or (Jewish Home’s Justice Minister) Ayelet Shaked?,” said Bennett, not referencing the scars of the suspect, and offhandedly trying to discredit the lawyer of the suspect who has revealed the abuse reported by his client.
In response, Ben-Gvir said in a statement that “unfortunately the Shabak (ISA) is taking advantage of the naivety of the Jewish Home ministers, and the fact that they are not familiar with the situation.”
“I would suggest that Minister Bennett and Minister Shaked speak with the detainees who were already released in the case, to hear first-hand what those detainees underwent, some of whom currently are on sedative pills, instead of taking the Shabak briefings at face value.”
Campaign to discredit suspects?
Ben-Gvir claimed that Bennett’s statements backing the ISA, which echo those of a string of politicians on Tuesday, stem from a briefing given in recent days to politicians and public figures by members of the ISA’s Jewish Department.
The politicians were given a flier asking them to claim that the “hilltop youth” being held are anti-Zionist, according to the lawyer.
“In terms of Zionism, I actually really connect to what Minister Bennett said and I’m no less Zionist than he. I have arguments occasionally with some of the youths in terms of their faith in the state of Israel, but even if some of the youths are mistaken in their conduct towards the state and went too far, that is still no reason to harm them, to abuse them, and we must not allow the Shabak to harm them.”
“Minister Bennett, Minister Shaked and all members of the right-wing public who speak on this case must understand that today it’s youth from Geva and tomorrow it’s youth from Efrat and Alon Shevut, and in two days from Ra’anana,” said Ben-Gvir.
“From the viewpoint of some of those in the Shabak the ‘hilltop youth’ are the enemy, their parents are the parents of terrorists, and the neighbors of the ‘hilltop youth’ are a terror supporting environment.”
“We must not agree to this conduct and we must raise a cry, even if this cry disturbs members of the Shabak’s Jewish Department,” concluded the attorney.
Psychologists and social workers have issued a petition to stop the reported torture they argue is illegal under Israeli law, and likewise civil rights groups have called to investigate the ISA over the apparently illegal torture. In one case, the ISA was found to have illegally detained one of the suspects, a minor, for longer than the 20 days mandated by the counter-terror law.
watsa46 Said:
Didn’t they kill Ahab.
Bear Klein Said:
Moses and Arron standing at the Red Sea watchin Pharaoh’s army drown. Arron turns to Moses and says, ” well bro ,,,,it will be all right for the Jews from now forward on”.
A Jew killed Rabin. Anything is possible.
@ honeybee:
I always remain positive even when things are not perfect.
Common expression in Israel translates to, “It will be all right”
@ Bear Klein:
Hopeful , but perennially disappointed bears.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SV49XCNN4JU/TAviAHmfuEI/AAAAAAAAPPY/cChM19GTAtw/s1600/albinoBlackbearenjoyssunkl.jpg
@ honeybee:”Hopeful Bears” which you are correct could equal naive.
Bear Klein Said:
You expect one should wait to condemn before the facts are disclosed? There are big bears and little bears , but naive bears?
Accusation against the Shin Bet are also completely unproven. If the charges of torture are true they should pay the price.
We all do not want to believe that Jews committed this crime in Duma, including me. So the alternative hypothetical of Arabs committing this crime is attractive to us.
I am most eager for the facts to come out and find out objectively what the truth is.
They have tortured Jews, tried to break them and applied pressure upon them to substantiate the Israeli government’s contention – Jews and only Jews – were behind the arson in Duma.
And now the Shin Bet is inventing out of whole cloth fantastic claims of a Jewish conspiracy to create a Jewish State! (gasp!) The minds in the Jewish Department of Shabak are sick.
They smear Jews at a time when Jewish blood is flowing unabated through the streets of the country at the hands of Arab terrorists is beyond outrageous.
Israel’s government has lost its moral compass and primary obligation towards its citizens. If Jews committed a crime, they should of course be caught and tried and punished according to the judicial process.
But torturing innocent Jews and then blackening their good name is something no decent person should defend, period.
What if the Jews DID NOT commit the arson?
yes.
the left must be ecstatic now
strange how this occured timely to provide “proof” of the “jewish extremist conspiracy engaged in, and capable of, bringing down the gov”.
How come we heard no more of it. and why didnt the incarceration of the “extremists” prevent this parroting “duma” …. the GOI and shin bet keeps claiming that their torture of Jews prevents future dumas and prevents the destruction of the state(LOL)
this is the status of actual zionist jews in Israel as opposed to the replacement “zionists” of the party which laughingly calls itself the “Zionist union”. Orwell could not have provided a more accurate description of doublespeak.