Judge Slams Police Over Arrest of Bedouin Man, Orders Release

A judge in the Beersheba Magistrate's Court has sharply criticized the Israel Police for arresting a Bedouin man and ordered his unconditional release, questioning the basis for his detention and the police's handling of the incident. The court was reviewing a police request to extend the man's arrest for seven days in connection with a suspected farm break-in and shooting.

According to the account, the man and his cousin were driving near a farm in the Negev when they were pursued by the farm's owners. The owners claimed they had received an alert about an illegal entry and saw flashlights near a generator shed. During the chase, the suspects entered a vehicle. The farm owners fired shots, some reportedly at the vehicle, injuring one of the occupants. The suspects claim they stopped due to a vehicle malfunction and were then confronted by individuals with weapons, prompting them to flee.

The judge, Golan, stated there was no reasonable suspicion linking the suspect to the alleged break-in, noting that nothing stolen from the farm was found in the vehicle and the farm owners themselves lost sight of the initial suspect. He also questioned the grounds for a potential endangerment charge, as the individuals pursuing the vehicle were not identified as law enforcement.

Crucially, the judge expressed strong disapproval of the police's failure to investigate the individuals who fired shots or to seize their weapons for examination. "The police representative herself noted that there is no indication that the suspect is connected to the break-in," the judge wrote, adding, "The police did not provide a reasonable and logical reason why the shooter was not investigated and why the weapon was not seized for testing."

The suspect's lawyer, Oten Assoulin, vehemently protested the arrest, calling the case a "disgrace" and questioning whether the man would have been arrested and shot at if he were Jewish, not Bedouin. The judge concluded by rejecting the police's request and ordering the suspect's immediate release without conditions.