MK Moshe Abutbul Urges Minister Ben Gvir to Intervene in Controversial Arrest of Witness

MK Moshe Abutbul sent an urgent letter to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Tuesday, protesting the transfer and arrest of Moshe Steiner, a 21-year-old from Bnei Brak, by the military police after he gave testimony. Steiner, who was summoned to the Lahav 433 unit under suspicion of espionage for Iran but was actually called to provide testimony in an investigation, was detained immediately after his statement. Abutbul criticized the police's handling of the case as a "crossing of a red line" and a serious breach of the police chief's commitments to the ultra-Orthodox community. Copies of the letter were also sent to the police commissioner and the justice minister.

Abutbul warned that such actions could erode the ultra-Orthodox public's trust in law enforcement, potentially discouraging citizens from reporting crimes or cooperating with police, which he said "could cost lives." Steiner, a former student of the Mir Yeshiva in Brachfeld and currently studying in Beit Meir, is related to Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, head of the Mir Yeshiva. After his arrest, Steiner was sentenced to 20 days in detention. Attorney Menachem Stauber has joined his defense team and is actively working on the case.

Abutbul's letter demands intervention by Ben Gvir, emphasizing that using police summonses to transfer civilians to military police custody undermines public willingness to engage with law enforcement, especially in sensitive communities. The case has sparked concern over police procedures and their impact on community relations.