Jerusalem Court Extends Detention of 10 Jewish Suspects in Assault Cases
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
A Jerusalem court extended the detention of ten Jewish suspects arrested in connection with assaulting photographer Heidi Levine and allegedly attacking foreign diplomats. The "Olive Branch" police operation led to the arrests, with some suspects claiming they were not present or that evidence was lacking. Attorneys criticized the detentions as "show arrests" due to insufficient evidence presented in court. The court extended the detention of several suspects while releasing others under restrictive conditions.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Ten Jewish suspects had their detentions extended by a Jerusalem court for alleged assaults.
- Suspects are accused of attacking photographer Heidi Levine and foreign diplomats in the Benjamin region.
- The arrests were part of a police operation named "Olive Branch" involving multiple security agencies.
- Attorneys for the suspects criticized the detentions, citing a lack of evidence and calling them "show arrests."
- One suspect in a separate incident faces charges for extreme violence and is awaiting indictment.
- The court extended detention for some suspects while releasing others under restrictive conditions.
A Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Monday extended the detention of ten Jewish suspects arrested in connection with the assault of photographer Heidi Levine and the suspected attack on foreign diplomats in the Benjamin region. The arrests were part of a police operation dubbed "Olive Branch."
The detention of three suspects in the photographer's assault was extended until Wednesday, October 21. A fourth suspect in this attack claims he was not present at the scene, and his statements are under review. Separately, Judge Hagit Pelaot extended the detention of two suspects in the attack on foreign diplomats by three days. These suspects have refused to cooperate with investigators.
An investigator stated that "these incidents cause damage to the State of Israel and harm its standing." The suspects' attorney argued that the arrests were "ynet arrests," claiming no one could be identified as the individuals in the videos wore masks.
In a separate hearing, the court addressed four other suspects accused of taking over a Palestinian home in Area B and violating a closed military zone order. Police allege they left the home to carry out further anti-Palestinian actions in the area. Their attorney, Daniel Shemeshvili, argued the suspects were unaware of the order, calling the arrests "show arrests."
The judge released three of these suspects under restrictive conditions but extended the detention of the fourth by three days, citing "reasonable suspicion of committing the offenses."
The "Olive Branch" operation, involving the Shin Bet, Border Police, and IDF forces, led to the arrest of the ten suspects. Concurrently, a resident of Samaria was arrested yesterday for involvement in other extreme violence incidents, with a prosecution statement expected to be filed against him soon.
Attorneys for the suspects criticized the arrests, with Assaf Gonen of the Honenu organization calling them "baseless arrests" and alleging a lack of evidence. Shemeshvili echoed this, quoting the Prime Minister's Office on the need for evidence, which he claimed was not presented to the court.
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