Evacuation of Gilad Farm
Photo: Reuters
Court: Cops endangered lives at outpost
Police should not have dressed as Arabs to provoke settlers at Gilad Farm outpost, court states
Kfar Saba's Magistrates' Court on Friday released five suspects apprehended Thursday near the Gilad Farm outpost in the West Bank.
The court criticized police for the manner in which the arrests were conducted, stating that officers had put lives at risk.
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Six Jewish settlers were detained Thursday on suspicion of throwing stones at a Palestinian vehicle travelling near the outpost, and trying to run over police officers in response to the demolition of five illegal structures at the Maoz Esther outpost.
The settlers at Gilad Farm protested the arrests and said police were being deliberately confrontational. Itai Zar, a resident of the outpost, said officers had arrived in a car bearing Palestinian license plates and stopped it at the road entrance. Two officers dressed in Arab garb emerged from the vehicle and stood nearby.
A motorist that arrived at the outpost at that time said he had felt threatened by the presence of those he believed to be Arabs, and informed the other settlers, who made their way to the scene. After arguing with the two costumed cops a number of officers emerged from the vehicle, surprising the settlers.
Attorney Adi Keidar, who represents the only suspect released on Thursday, told the court that the settlers' behavior should be regarded in light of the Jordan Valley shooting attack that occurred last week.
"This type of thing, in which a vehicle is supposedly stalled as in the Jordan Valley, can be interpreted as a security threat," he said. "The residents may think that these are Palestinians."
The attorney added, "This is a provocation by police. What would have happened if, God forbid, the security officer had thought they were terrorists and come out shooting?"
The court accepted claims made by the settlers and criticized police for their trick, determining that it had endangered lives. The additional five detainees were released Friday.
