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Olive groves on fire
Photo: Zacharia Sida

Cases against settlers suspected of arson closed

West Bank Jews detained near torched Palestinian olive grove won't be prosecuted. 'Affair a leftist provocation,' one of them says

The Tel Aviv District Prosecution decided last week to close the cases against two Jewish settlers suspected of setting Palestinian olive groves on fire, citing lack of guilt.

 

Human rights group Yesh Din called the decision ' outrageous', saying it constitutes a failure on the part of the prosecution and Israel Police to enforce laws aimed at preventing "ideologically-motivated offenses" against Palestinians in the West Bank.

 

The two suspects, Itai Zar of Gilad Farm and Tzvi Yehuda Gorkovitch from Kedumim were suspected of torching olive groves located near the village of Amtin in August 2008. The fire in question followed a violent clash between Palestinian and settlers from Gilad Farm.

 

The settlers did not cooperate with investigators and did not explain why they were near the site when the fire broke out. A search of a vehicle driven by Gorkovitch found a jerry can containing a flammable substance.

 

The police officer who arrested Gorkovitch said the settler's hands "reeked of a flammable substance".

 

In his defense, the settler claimed that he had "witnessed the clash and tried to break it up," this despite the fact that the clash had already ended by the time he was arrested.

 

The settler later changed his version and told the officer that he had noticed the fire and "wanted to see if anyone needed help".

 

Zar was detained near the site of the fire a few minutes later. Both settlers were taken to a local police station and questioned under warning on suspicion of causing the blaze.

 

Speaking to Ynet, Zar called the affair a "leftist provocation".

 


פרסום ראשון: 04.03.10, 18:04
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