Security Officers Protest Shin Bet Arrests of West Bank Security Personnel

Dozens of security coordinators, known as Rabbatzim, from across Israel gathered Sunday morning outside the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv to protest the arrest and detention conditions of a security official from the Shomron region by the Shin Bet.

In a strongly worded letter to the Defense Minister, the Rabbatzim expressed their dismay, stating, "We find it difficult to accept that a person who dedicates his life to defense is arrested and treated like a common terrorist. A red line has been crossed."

They detailed the harsh detention conditions, including alleged confinement in a two-by-two-by-two-meter cell. The protesters emphasized that the arrest is not just a personal matter but concerns the status of all Rabbatzim, vowing not to remain silent.

Yossi Dagan, Head of the Shomron Regional Council, joined the protest, having met with the arrested official's wife. Dagan highlighted the individual as a "valued security official" who recently received an award. He called for his release and demanded that the investigation be conducted by military police and the civilian police, not with methods reserved for terrorists.

The arrests of two security officials from the Shomron occurred the previous week around 5 a.m. The wife of one detainee reported that a force of at least 15 police officers, some masked, arrived at their home, confiscated his weapon, communication devices, and an ATV, and did not inform him of the reason for his arrest. Both individuals were transferred to Shin Bet custody and denied access to legal counsel.