Atty. Ben-Gvir: Police Department Only Arrests Jews

The Jerusalem District Court, under Judge Moshe Drori, ordered the police on Thursday to immediately free four Jewish youths who were arrested the same day over suspicions of throwing stones near Beit El in Samaria. In the trial, some disturbing revelations were made about the police.

Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir represented the youth on behalf of the Honenu legal aid organization. In his decision, Drori criticized the police sharply for their conduct in the arrest, which was carried out as police broke into the homes of the young Jews.

Ben-Gvir spoke about the ruling, saying "we all should feel sorry that the Judea Samaria police become frantic over anything connected to arrests of right-wing activists."

"We should feel more sorry that the same police admitted in court to establishing a full department for nationalistic crime, reinforced with dozens of officers, funded by a swollen budget from the pocket of Israeli taxes, and admitted openly the department only arrests Jews," revealed Ben-Gvir. "If that isn't racism, I don't know what is."

It should be noted that roads to Beit El, as well as the community itself, have suffered repeated Arab riots and stone attacks, given the proximity to Ramallah. The situation has led to demonstrations; last October police arrested five residents as they protested the lack of security in the town.

Residents of Beit El accuse the police of ignoring the constant rock attacks against the Jewish residents, and instead choosing to pounce on Jewish youth over empty complaints by Arab residents.

The ruling came a day after a similar case, in which a Beit El youth was arrested over charges of "rock throwing"; in that case too, the Jerusalem District Court ordered police to free the suspect immediately after his case was presented by Attorney David Halevi of Honenu.