State indicts 17 protesters who broke into military police chief’s home in Ashkelon

The State Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment on Monday against 17 people, including four minors, over rioting and trespass at the home of Military Police Chief Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin in Ashkelon. The incident took place during a protest by ultra-Orthodox demonstrators against the draft law for Haredim and the sanctions imposed on draft evaders.

According to the indictment, dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters gathered about a month and a half ago in the evening near Yamin’s house, carrying signs reading, “War on the draft law, through deeds and not words!” Shortly after the protest began, some of them broke through the locked entrance gate and entered the yard. At the time, Yamin’s wife and two children, one of them a minor, were inside the house.

The indictment says dozens of protesters, including the defendants, moved into the yard, the porch and the front steps, singing protest songs, holding signs and shouting insults against Yamin and against Israeli forces. Family members remained locked inside, unable to leave safely, while more protesters crowded the street-facing entrance. They reportedly felt fear of being harmed, lowered the shutters, locked the front door and called police. Security forces ended the disturbance and arrested the defendants.

The attack caused damage to the gate-locking mechanism, parts of the house wall, the porch tiles and nearby plants. The total damage was estimated at several thousand shekels. The defendants were charged with riot, trespass in order to commit an offense, and willful damage. Prosecutors also asked the court to set release conditions to ensure they appear for the rest of the proceedings.