Jerusalem Court Rejects Central Command Chief’s Appeal Against Restriction Order on Tal Yinnon Dradik

On Sunday, Judge Avraham Rubin of the Jerusalem District Court dismissed an appeal filed by Central Command Chief Major General Avi Blot against a military court ruling in the West Bank concerning a special restriction order on Tal Yinnon Dradik. The order, issued due to suspicions of nationalist crimes, mandated Dradik to remain under full house arrest for six months at a relative’s home. Judge Rubin upheld the military court’s decision that Blot’s order was invalid but delayed enforcement of the ruling by 48 hours.

Dradik, at the center of a public dispute between Defense Minister Israel Katz and General Blot, is suspected of attacking Palestinians in March. Due to insufficient criminal evidence, the military issued an administrative restriction order based on Shin Bet’s recommendation. Dradik’s failure to comply with the order led to his imprisonment at the Russian Compound in Jerusalem and charges for disobeying the administrative order.

Defense Minister Katz took several unusual steps supporting Dradik, including publicly criticizing General Blot, declaring the order unenforceable, and instructing security forces not to renew or extend the restrictions. Katz even announced Blot’s dismissal live on television, escalating tensions between the two officials.

Blot’s appeal to the district court was filed against Katz’s directive to halt the restrictions. Judge Rubin clarified that his ruling addressed only the legality of the order, not Dradik’s detention or release. Dradik’s attorney, Moshe Polsky of Honenu, welcomed the court’s decision, calling the order illegal and unimplementable and urging a review of the conduct by Central Command and Shin Bet during this difficult case.