In Jerusalem, on the afternoon of Shabbos 17 Tammuz, an altercation between Arabs and two Jews, a father and his son, broke out after an Arab claimed that he saw Jews throwing rocks at his car. According to the police the Arab threatened, acted wildly and a disturbance broke out at the scene. The Arab broke into the Jewish home in the Beis Yisrael neighborhood after he thought that he had seen Jews who had thrown rocks fleeing in the direction of their home, which is adjacent to Highway 1, and claimed that the son had thrown a rock at him.

Policemen who arrived on the scene decided to detain the father and his son in addition to the Arab driver. The son is suspected of throwing a rock at the Arab’s car and the father is suspected of resisting the detention of his son and also raising a letter opener, which he states he picked up after the Arab broke into his house and broke windows. Honenu attorney David HaLevi is representing the father and son, who deny all charges. According to the policemen the Arab is suspected of attempting to injure Jews with his belt, threatening Jews standing close to him that he “will kill them” and also attempting to assault the policemen trying to calm him.

A deliberation on the case was held at the Jerusalem Magistrate Court on Sunday, 18 Tammuz. The remand of the father and son was extended by two days. During the deliberation it turned out that the Arab has a criminal record and was convicted of incitement and rioting in the past. Despite the police demand to extend his remand by five days, the judge decided to extend the remand only until the following morning.

Honenu attorney David HaLevi, who is representing the father and his son, stated in response that, “This is an absurd and pointless detention. My clients did nothing wrong and were falsely detained. A head of household attempted to protect his son who was assaulted in his own home by an assailant who claimed that the son had thrown a rock at him. During the course of the assault windows in the home were smashed. Instead of verifying the claims the police detained everyone, the assailant and my clients, who are crime victims, victims of assault in their own home. We will file an appeal on the decision and expect that the [Jerusalem] District Court will correct the injustice and order the immediate and unconditional release of my clients.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)