Security Coordinators Protest Detainee Treatment, Demand Defense Minister Intervention

Dozens of community security coordinators, known as 'Rabbashatzim,' drove their security vehicles to the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv on Sunday to protest the arrest and detention conditions of a security official from the Samaria region. The individual was reportedly arrested by the Shin Bet security agency about a week prior. The protesters are urging Defense Minister Israel Katz to intervene urgently in the matter.

The demonstrators gathered at the Begin Gate entrance to the Kirya, wearing their official Rabbashatzim shirts and arriving in their communities' security vehicles. In a statement, they declared a halt to their routine duties, citing the "severe detention conditions, the nature of the arrest, and the offensive treatment of his family." They asserted that such treatment is "unworthy of any security official who risks their life for the defense of the land" and that they "cannot continue as usual" or "remain silent."

According to the legal aid organization Honenu, approximately 100 Rabbashatzim from across the country signed an urgent letter to the Defense Minister. The letter expressed outrage over the treatment of the detainee, describing him as being held in a cell measuring roughly two meters by two meters with a two-meter ceiling. The coordinators argued that this treatment raises serious questions about proportionality and justification, stating, "We find it difficult to accept that a person who dedicates his life to protecting residents and the security of the settlements is arrested and treated like a common terrorist, with damage to his dignity and status as a civilian security official."

The Rabbashatzim demanded that law enforcement authorities act with fairness and proportionality, respecting the detainee's dignity and rights. They emphasized that the implications of this arrest extend beyond the individual, affecting the status of all Rabbashatzim and civilian security personnel who bear significant responsibility for daily resident safety. The group concluded their statement by affirming their solidarity with their colleague and demanding "fair, respectful, and proportionate treatment," declaring, "A red line has been crossed, we will not stand by and will not be silent!"