Jerusalem Court Rejects Central Command Chief Avi Blot’s Appeal Over Right-Wing Activist’s Restriction Order

The Jerusalem District Court has dismissed an appeal filed by Central Command Chief Major General Avi Blot concerning a restriction order against right-wing activist Tal Dradik. The court clarified that Blot retains the authority to impose new conditions on the restriction and supervision order issued against Dradik.

Blot, who also serves as the military commander in the West Bank, had appealed a late July decision by the Judea and Samaria Appeals Committee. That committee had upheld the initial issuance of the restriction order based on intelligence indicating Dradik posed a security threat to the area but struck down the condition requiring Dradik to remain under house arrest at his mother-in-law’s home, due to her refusal to consent to his stay.

In June, Blot had issued the special restriction order mandating Dradik’s house arrest at his mother-in-law’s residence. However, before the appeal was resolved, Dradik did not comply with the order, leading to criminal charges against him for violating a lawful directive. Dradik remains in custody pending trial.

The Appeals Committee confirmed the intelligence justified the restriction order but accepted Dradik’s appeal to remove the house arrest location condition. Judge Avraham Rubin emphasized that the committee did not cancel the entire order but only the specific condition about the house arrest location. He ruled there was no error in the committee’s decision and upheld the military commander’s right to set new conditions. The court also postponed the enforcement of its ruling until August 11, 2026, to allow time for alternative arrangements.

This ruling maintains that Dradik is considered a security risk warranting full house arrest, while allowing flexibility on the location of detention. The case highlights ongoing tensions between security measures and legal rights concerning activists in the West Bank.