West Bank farmer released to house arrest after two weeks in custody

A court in Petah Tikva ordered the release of a farmer from Samaria to house arrest after he had spent two weeks in detention. He was arrested after going out to recover his flock and, according to the case file, being attacked by dozens of Arab rioters.

Police said they would appeal the decision to the district court. The farmer is represented by attorneys Nati Rom and Asaf Gonen of the Honenu organization.

During the hearing, Judge Menachem Mizrahi sharply criticized the police claim that the farmer fired at Arabs and wounded them. He said, "I learned that there is a video that describes the incident, but it is not possible to clearly see the suspect carrying out the shooting. I also learned from the answers of the petitioner’s representative that no forensic examination was carried out on the vehicle in question, meaning no bullet was found, no matching was done to the suspect’s weapon, not to mention shell casings at the scene."

Mizrahi added that "the petitioner’s representative admitted that no one was injured," contradicting the police allegations during the detention period that an Arab had been hurt by the gunfire. The lawyers welcomed the ruling, calling it a necessary decision and saying they hoped the prosecution would reconsider before pursuing a case that they believe will end in a sweeping acquittal.