Haim Pearlman: I was humiliated

"I was yelled at. They tried to humiliate me. I suffered," Haim Pearlman said Thursday upon his release to 15 days of house arrest.

Pearlman, who was dubbed the "Jewish terrorist," is suspected of murdering four Arabs and attempting to kill another seven in the 1990s.

Pearlman after being released from custody (Photo: Yaron Brener)

He was greeted outside a Petah Tikva police station by his wife Keren, relatives and friends carrying champagne bottles and balloons. "I was abused. They tied me to a chair," he said.

Extreme rightist Itamar Ben-Gvir said, who among those who greeted Pearlman, said, "We call on the Shin Bet's Jewish division and the State Prosecution to do some soul searching.

"He is Jewish, but not a terrorist," said the right-wing activist.  

The streets of the Tekoa settlement in Gush Etzion were decorated ahead of Pearlman's return to his parents' home. He was greeted with hugs by his relatives, who failed to conceal their excitement.

Upon his arrival at the house, Pearlman refused to respond to reporters' questions on his Shin Bet interrogation. He rushed to the top floor and began reading text messages received on his cellular phone.

Greeted by relatives in Tekoa (Photo: Noam Moskowitz)

His youngest brother, 17-year-old Yoss Pearlman, said during the preparations for his brother's arrival: "Justice has been served. I was happy and I knew this would happen from the very beginning."

Yossi, who will be joining an IDF combat unit next year, said the affair damaged his trust in the law enforcement authorities. "The Shin Bet, the police, the courts – I never trusted them. I always knew they were garbage."

Other residents of Tekoa joined the celebrations. According to Yael Nudler, "We knew all along that he was innocent. He should have been home a long time ago."

'Do they treat Anat Kam like that?'

Before her husband was released, Keren Pearlman told Ynet she doesn't believe the decision will be the end of the war being waged on her husband.

"You see how the Shin Bet is trying to fight for its honor. This is just a war of honor," she said.

Referring to the lack of evidence in the case, the suspect's wife said, "Even after four months nothing has changed, expect this ridiculous lineup. It's like putting Bibi Netanyahu there, bringing someone and telling him: Identify this person. Haim has been spread all over the newspapers' headlines for a week now and everyone knows who he is."

Pearlman accused the Shin Bet of discriminating against her husband, following the claims that he was abused by his interrogators. "While Anat Kam is a spy, you should see where she is sitting. Was she ever in such a detainment? Did they do such things to her? I don't think so," she said.

State: Pearlman still main suspect

Following Pearlman's release, the State Prosecutor's Office came out in defense of the Shin Bet security service, which has been criticized over its handling of the affair.

The Petah Tikva Magistrates' Court determined this week that the evidence against Pearlman was not substantial and ordered that he be released to house arrest.

The police appealed the decision, but on Thursday the Petah Tikva District Court ruled that the suspect will be held under house arrest for 15 days.

Senior State Prosecution officials said Thursday afternoon that the public is not aware of all the details in the case, adding that the suspicions against Pearlman are much stronger than they appear to be in the media.

The State Prosecutor's Office stressed that the case against Pearlman was not closed. "Now that so much evidence against him has been gathered, it would be outrageous not to continue with the investigation and leave no stone unturned," an official said.

He added that the Shin Bet was aware the case against Pearlman would be problematic.

Ronen Medzini and Aviad Glickman contributed to this report 

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