26 nov 2017
The Palestinian Authority (PA) forces on Saturday handed over five Israeli settlers who crept into the occupied West Bank to the Israeli military forces.
According to the Hebrew-speaking Yedioth Ahronot daily, an Israeli settler was arrested in Bethlehem after he attacked a guard at a Palestinian archaeological site.
Four other settlers were arrested at a shopping mall in Nablus. The five arrestees were however returned to the occupation army shortly afterwards and without interrogation.
Observers said the move makes part of ongoing security cooperation between the PA and the Israeli army. Several settlers have gone unpunished by the PA forces despite their involvement in attacks against Palestinian civilians and anti-occupation activists.
According to the Hebrew-speaking Yedioth Ahronot daily, an Israeli settler was arrested in Bethlehem after he attacked a guard at a Palestinian archaeological site.
Four other settlers were arrested at a shopping mall in Nablus. The five arrestees were however returned to the occupation army shortly afterwards and without interrogation.
Observers said the move makes part of ongoing security cooperation between the PA and the Israeli army. Several settlers have gone unpunished by the PA forces despite their involvement in attacks against Palestinian civilians and anti-occupation activists.
20 nov 2017
Lawyers representing five teenagers charged with incitement to violence and terrorism have the charges dropped over technical issue; judge doesn't rule out re-filing indictments after corrections are made.
The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court dismissed on Monday five indictments against teenagers who participated in what became known as the "wedding of hate."
Videos filmed at the Jerusalem wedding of Yakir and Ronny Ashbal in December 2015 show guests dancing while brandishing firearms and Molotov cocktails, and mocking the murder of Palestinian baby Ali Dawabshe—who was burned to death along with his parents in an arson attack at his home in Duma—by stabbing a photo of his with a knife and trying to set it on fire
A year ago, the Jerusalem District Attorney charged 13 of the wedding guests, including five minors, with incitement to violence and terrorism and the unlawful possession of weapons.
After the trial had begun, the minors' lawyers learned that when filing the indictments, the District Attorney's Office did not present an authorization from the attorney general—which is necessary for such indictments against minors—and asked to dismiss the case on those grounds.
The District Attorney's Office claimed they obtained this authorization, which was sent to them via email.
Judge Shimon Leybo determined there were flaws in the filing of the indictments and that the necessary authorization had not been obtained on time.
The judge did note he would not prevent the prosecution from re-filing the indictments after the necessary corrections are made.
Public Defense lawyer Moriya Sasson, who represents one of the defendants, said in response: "It turns out the filing of the indictment in this case was done in a flawed manner. The District Attorney's Office was more focused on public relations and their image than professional considerations."
Adv. Sinaia Harizi-Moses of the Honenu organization added, "I was happy to hear the court's decision, which brought justice where there was an attempt to allow the harming of minors in hindsight."
The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court dismissed on Monday five indictments against teenagers who participated in what became known as the "wedding of hate."
Videos filmed at the Jerusalem wedding of Yakir and Ronny Ashbal in December 2015 show guests dancing while brandishing firearms and Molotov cocktails, and mocking the murder of Palestinian baby Ali Dawabshe—who was burned to death along with his parents in an arson attack at his home in Duma—by stabbing a photo of his with a knife and trying to set it on fire
A year ago, the Jerusalem District Attorney charged 13 of the wedding guests, including five minors, with incitement to violence and terrorism and the unlawful possession of weapons.
After the trial had begun, the minors' lawyers learned that when filing the indictments, the District Attorney's Office did not present an authorization from the attorney general—which is necessary for such indictments against minors—and asked to dismiss the case on those grounds.
The District Attorney's Office claimed they obtained this authorization, which was sent to them via email.
Judge Shimon Leybo determined there were flaws in the filing of the indictments and that the necessary authorization had not been obtained on time.
The judge did note he would not prevent the prosecution from re-filing the indictments after the necessary corrections are made.
Public Defense lawyer Moriya Sasson, who represents one of the defendants, said in response: "It turns out the filing of the indictment in this case was done in a flawed manner. The District Attorney's Office was more focused on public relations and their image than professional considerations."
Adv. Sinaia Harizi-Moses of the Honenu organization added, "I was happy to hear the court's decision, which brought justice where there was an attempt to allow the harming of minors in hindsight."
19 oct 2017
A Jewish settler on Wednesday evening assaulted a Palestinian elderly woman in Jit village, west of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank, while others stole olive crops in the southern town of Qaryut.
Activist Zakaria Sadah, field coordinator at Rabbis for Human Rights, reported that a settler from Havat Gilad outpost brutalized an old female farmer woman called Fatima Arman, expelled her from her land under threat, and ripped out bags of olives she was carrying into thorny bushes.
Sadah affirmed there was prior coordination with the Israeli military authorities to allow local farmers to access their lands in the area.
In another incident, Sadah documented with photos widespread acts of sabotage committed by settlers in olive groves in Qaryut town, south of Nablus.
He said that a group of settlers made off with a large number of olive fruits from dozens of trees in the area, accusing the Israeli police of being lenient with settlers who commit crimes against Palestinian farmers and their lands in the West Bank.
He added that the police released a settler notorious for stealing olive crops from Palestinian groves a few days ago and only decided to give him a written order prohibiting him from getting near Palestinian agricultural areas during the olive harvest season.
Activist Zakaria Sadah, field coordinator at Rabbis for Human Rights, reported that a settler from Havat Gilad outpost brutalized an old female farmer woman called Fatima Arman, expelled her from her land under threat, and ripped out bags of olives she was carrying into thorny bushes.
Sadah affirmed there was prior coordination with the Israeli military authorities to allow local farmers to access their lands in the area.
In another incident, Sadah documented with photos widespread acts of sabotage committed by settlers in olive groves in Qaryut town, south of Nablus.
He said that a group of settlers made off with a large number of olive fruits from dozens of trees in the area, accusing the Israeli police of being lenient with settlers who commit crimes against Palestinian farmers and their lands in the West Bank.
He added that the police released a settler notorious for stealing olive crops from Palestinian groves a few days ago and only decided to give him a written order prohibiting him from getting near Palestinian agricultural areas during the olive harvest season.
6 oct 2017
Tal Silberstein, under investigation in Israel in corruption case surrounding billionaire Beny Steinmetz, opened Facebook pages meant to undermine Sebastian Kurz, who leads the right-wing Austrian People's Party; Silberstein doesn't deny reports but says a mole was implanted in his team.
Israeli political advisor Tal Silberstein is behind a smear campaign that has caused a political storm in Austria just days before the general elections in the country, according to Austrian media.
Silberstein, a former advisor to Israeli prime ministers Ehud Barak, Ehud Olmert and Benjamin Netanyahu, is reportedly behind particularly vitriolic Facebook pages, which he opened as part of his work for the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ).
The Facebook pages are not directly tied to the party's campaign, but they do target political rival Sebastian Kurz, who heads the right-wing Austrian People's Party, with content described to be "anti-Semitic and racist in part," according to Austrian newspaper Die Presse.
In an interview with Austrian media, Silberstein did not deny being behind the campaign but instead attacked his rivals and accused them of planting a mole in his team.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern, who hired Silberstein, denied having any knowledge of the dirty campaign, with Silberstein himself confirming Kern had no hand in it.
Silberstein was paid some 500,000 euros for his work for the SPÖ. He stopped working with the party in mid-August, when he was arrested in Israel in connection with the corruption case surrounding billionaire Beny Steinmetz.
Negative campaigns are usually considered taboo in Austrian elections. A Facebook page titled "The truth about Sebastian Kurz," which was opened by Silberstein but made to look like a page run by the radical right-wing in the country, claimed American billionaire George Soros, a central figure in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, donated millions of dollars to Kurz's campaign.
The same page also mocked Kurz's age, presenting him as a baby. Kurz, who has been serving as Austria's foreign minister since 2013, was appointed to the role at age 27, making him one of the youngest foreign ministers in Europe.
Another Facebook page titled "We're for Sebastian Kurz" was portrayed as one run by a close associate of Kurz's party and featured posts with populist positions. For example, a photo of masses of refugees was accompanied with the caption: "Thousands of refugees are waiting in Italy and NGOs are threatening to bring them to Austria. Should Austria allow this?"
The page also posted about an opinion poll asking whether the main border crossing between Austria and Italy should be closed—a clearly populist position.
The elections are scheduled to be held on October 15. Kurz's Austrian People's Party is leading in the polls with 34 percent, compared to the SPÖ with only 25 percent.
Israeli political advisor Tal Silberstein is behind a smear campaign that has caused a political storm in Austria just days before the general elections in the country, according to Austrian media.
Silberstein, a former advisor to Israeli prime ministers Ehud Barak, Ehud Olmert and Benjamin Netanyahu, is reportedly behind particularly vitriolic Facebook pages, which he opened as part of his work for the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ).
The Facebook pages are not directly tied to the party's campaign, but they do target political rival Sebastian Kurz, who heads the right-wing Austrian People's Party, with content described to be "anti-Semitic and racist in part," according to Austrian newspaper Die Presse.
In an interview with Austrian media, Silberstein did not deny being behind the campaign but instead attacked his rivals and accused them of planting a mole in his team.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern, who hired Silberstein, denied having any knowledge of the dirty campaign, with Silberstein himself confirming Kern had no hand in it.
Silberstein was paid some 500,000 euros for his work for the SPÖ. He stopped working with the party in mid-August, when he was arrested in Israel in connection with the corruption case surrounding billionaire Beny Steinmetz.
Negative campaigns are usually considered taboo in Austrian elections. A Facebook page titled "The truth about Sebastian Kurz," which was opened by Silberstein but made to look like a page run by the radical right-wing in the country, claimed American billionaire George Soros, a central figure in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, donated millions of dollars to Kurz's campaign.
The same page also mocked Kurz's age, presenting him as a baby. Kurz, who has been serving as Austria's foreign minister since 2013, was appointed to the role at age 27, making him one of the youngest foreign ministers in Europe.
Another Facebook page titled "We're for Sebastian Kurz" was portrayed as one run by a close associate of Kurz's party and featured posts with populist positions. For example, a photo of masses of refugees was accompanied with the caption: "Thousands of refugees are waiting in Italy and NGOs are threatening to bring them to Austria. Should Austria allow this?"
The page also posted about an opinion poll asking whether the main border crossing between Austria and Italy should be closed—a clearly populist position.
The elections are scheduled to be held on October 15. Kurz's Austrian People's Party is leading in the polls with 34 percent, compared to the SPÖ with only 25 percent.
29 sept 2017
An Israeli court sentenced Yinon Reuveni, 22 to eight years imprisonment for the arson targeting the Church of Loaves and Fishes near Tiberias two years ago.
His lawyer said that he intends to appeal the sentence, and claimed that the proof of Yinon’s involvement was insufficient. The lawyer also accused the court that convicted him of making mistakes and ignoring evidence presented by the defense.
Yinon was arrested and charged with arson in July of this year, while another Israeli extremist was acquitted of all charges in the burning of the church.
The church was burned in June of 2015 in a blatant act of anti-Christian aggression. In addition to the fire, which destroyed several church buildings, the perpetrators painted anti-Arab and anti-Christian graffiti on walls throughout the church grounds.
The Catholic Church recently celebrated the reopening of the church, earlier this year.
The fire, which was set in the middle of the night in June of 2015, wounded two church members and completely destroyed one of the buildings on the site.
Hebrew graffiti was found on another building within the complex, reading ‘Idols will be cast out’ or destroyed, AFP correspondents reported at the time. The text is part of a common Jewish prayer.
The church only recently reopened, two years after the arson attack. The damage cost over a million dollars to repair, and the Israeli government in September 2015 rejected a claim for compensation by officials of the Catholic Church.
Reuveni, the only person to be convicted in the arson attack – despite evidence that multiple people were involved – is also a suspect in a number of other hate crimes against Christians and Muslims living in the Holy Land.
One of the crimes he is suspected of participating in is an arson in February 2015 against the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem.
Asraf, who was acquitted of all charges in the arson on the Church of the Loaves and Fishes, is known to have lived in the Israeli colonial settlement of Yitzhar, where many of the Israeli extremists known to have carried out attacks against Palestinians have lived.
A third suspect, Moshe Orbach, was arrested in late 2015, accused of inciting violence against Christians and other non-Jews living in the Holy Land for writing and publishing tracts detailing the “necessity” of attacking non-Jews, and laying out the practical steps on how to carry out the attacks.
Orbach was later released.
Bentzi Gopstein, the right-wing Israeli leader of the extremist group Lehava, in 2016 reiterated the call for Jewish extremists to torch churches in the Holy Land.
His lawyer said that he intends to appeal the sentence, and claimed that the proof of Yinon’s involvement was insufficient. The lawyer also accused the court that convicted him of making mistakes and ignoring evidence presented by the defense.
Yinon was arrested and charged with arson in July of this year, while another Israeli extremist was acquitted of all charges in the burning of the church.
The church was burned in June of 2015 in a blatant act of anti-Christian aggression. In addition to the fire, which destroyed several church buildings, the perpetrators painted anti-Arab and anti-Christian graffiti on walls throughout the church grounds.
The Catholic Church recently celebrated the reopening of the church, earlier this year.
The fire, which was set in the middle of the night in June of 2015, wounded two church members and completely destroyed one of the buildings on the site.
Hebrew graffiti was found on another building within the complex, reading ‘Idols will be cast out’ or destroyed, AFP correspondents reported at the time. The text is part of a common Jewish prayer.
The church only recently reopened, two years after the arson attack. The damage cost over a million dollars to repair, and the Israeli government in September 2015 rejected a claim for compensation by officials of the Catholic Church.
Reuveni, the only person to be convicted in the arson attack – despite evidence that multiple people were involved – is also a suspect in a number of other hate crimes against Christians and Muslims living in the Holy Land.
One of the crimes he is suspected of participating in is an arson in February 2015 against the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem.
Asraf, who was acquitted of all charges in the arson on the Church of the Loaves and Fishes, is known to have lived in the Israeli colonial settlement of Yitzhar, where many of the Israeli extremists known to have carried out attacks against Palestinians have lived.
A third suspect, Moshe Orbach, was arrested in late 2015, accused of inciting violence against Christians and other non-Jews living in the Holy Land for writing and publishing tracts detailing the “necessity” of attacking non-Jews, and laying out the practical steps on how to carry out the attacks.
Orbach was later released.
Bentzi Gopstein, the right-wing Israeli leader of the extremist group Lehava, in 2016 reiterated the call for Jewish extremists to torch churches in the Holy Land.
14 sept 2017
Zvi Gur, left, and his victim, Oron Yarden
Zvi Gur, who was sentenced to life plus 34 years for the kidnapping and murder of 8-year-old Oron Yarden in 1980, set to go free; State Attorney's Office, which objected the release, yet to decide whether to appeal decision.
A special parole board decided Wednesday to release lifer Zvi Gur, who kidnapped and murdered eight-year-old Oron Yarden in 1980, Ynet learned on Thursday.
Gur, an illustrator of children's books, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder and an additional 34 years for the kidnapping. His sentence was commuted to 45 years in 1999 by then-president Ezer Weizman. He has served 37 years so far.
His release will be under restrictive conditions and is pending a feasibility examination by the Israel Prison Service.
The State Attorney's Office has not yet decided whether to appeal the decision.
Gur, who is now 70 years old, met eight-year-old Oron Yarden while he was riding his bike at a commercial center in Savyon on June 8, 1980. Gur was wearing IDF uniforms and persuaded the boy to get into his car.
Three days later, he strangled Yarden to death and then called his parents and demanded a ransom for his release.
Gur then left the child's body in a car in Petah Tikva and travelled to Hod HaSharon to pick up the ransom money. The next day he returned to his car and buried the boy in Netanya.
Zvi Gur, who was sentenced to life plus 34 years for the kidnapping and murder of 8-year-old Oron Yarden in 1980, set to go free; State Attorney's Office, which objected the release, yet to decide whether to appeal decision.
A special parole board decided Wednesday to release lifer Zvi Gur, who kidnapped and murdered eight-year-old Oron Yarden in 1980, Ynet learned on Thursday.
Gur, an illustrator of children's books, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder and an additional 34 years for the kidnapping. His sentence was commuted to 45 years in 1999 by then-president Ezer Weizman. He has served 37 years so far.
His release will be under restrictive conditions and is pending a feasibility examination by the Israel Prison Service.
The State Attorney's Office has not yet decided whether to appeal the decision.
Gur, who is now 70 years old, met eight-year-old Oron Yarden while he was riding his bike at a commercial center in Savyon on June 8, 1980. Gur was wearing IDF uniforms and persuaded the boy to get into his car.
Three days later, he strangled Yarden to death and then called his parents and demanded a ransom for his release.
Gur then left the child's body in a car in Petah Tikva and travelled to Hod HaSharon to pick up the ransom money. The next day he returned to his car and buried the boy in Netanya.
Gur before escaping in 1985
The killer was able to escape capture for a month and a half, but the money he received, which was marked, led to his eventual arrest.
On December 20, 1985, Gur was put to work painting the outside wall of the Ayalon Prison in Ramla. Since he was considered an exemplary prisoner, he was not supervised and was able to escape.
Over 2,000 police officers participated in the manhunt—one of the largest in Israeli history—with detailed descriptions of him sent to air ports, sea ports and land border crossings. He was caught five days later by civilians who identified him.
The State Attorney's Office objected to his release, claiming the crimes he committed had great public significance. In addition, the State Attorney's Office noted Gur has never taken full responsibility for his crime, as is required from a prisoner serving time for such offenses who is seeking early release.
Attorney Eyal Alon, who represents Gur, said "The message sent by the special parole board is unequivocal: crime doesn't pay off. Gur served 37.5 years in prison, which is unprecedented. Today, he is considered one of the most veteran prisoners in the Israel Prison Service. Gur will be released only after having gone through a massive, long rehabilitation process for over six years. To his credit, other than the escape in 1985, he did not commit a single disciplinary offense."
The killer was able to escape capture for a month and a half, but the money he received, which was marked, led to his eventual arrest.
On December 20, 1985, Gur was put to work painting the outside wall of the Ayalon Prison in Ramla. Since he was considered an exemplary prisoner, he was not supervised and was able to escape.
Over 2,000 police officers participated in the manhunt—one of the largest in Israeli history—with detailed descriptions of him sent to air ports, sea ports and land border crossings. He was caught five days later by civilians who identified him.
The State Attorney's Office objected to his release, claiming the crimes he committed had great public significance. In addition, the State Attorney's Office noted Gur has never taken full responsibility for his crime, as is required from a prisoner serving time for such offenses who is seeking early release.
Attorney Eyal Alon, who represents Gur, said "The message sent by the special parole board is unequivocal: crime doesn't pay off. Gur served 37.5 years in prison, which is unprecedented. Today, he is considered one of the most veteran prisoners in the Israel Prison Service. Gur will be released only after having gone through a massive, long rehabilitation process for over six years. To his credit, other than the escape in 1985, he did not commit a single disciplinary offense."
11 sept 2017
An Israeli court indicted a teenage Israeli settler, this Sunday, for allegedly attacking a Palestinian man in Jerusalem, over an Israeli woman the settler thought was in a relationship with the Palestinian, Israeli news daily Haaretz reported, according to Ma’an.
The settler, who lives in the illegal Modiin Illit settlement, in the occupied West Bank, was identified as 18-year-old Yehiel Weisenstern. He was charged by a Jerusalem district court with aggravated assault and committing a racially-motivated hate crime.
According to Haaretz, the indictment said that Weisenstern saw the victim, identified only by his first name Mohammed, walking with a female Jewish friend who works with him in the Mahane Yehuda market area of downtown Jerusalem.
Weisenstern and two friends, who Haaretz said were unknown to authorities, allegedly became aggressive after Mohammed turned down their request for a cigarette.
The suspect and two friends began to follow Mohammed and his female friend, who the three Israeli men inquired about with regard to her Jewish ethnicity. According to the indictment, they then asked Mohammed “why he was going out with a Jew.”
According to Haaretz, when Mohammed tried to explain that he and the woman worked together, the suspect or one of his friends allegedly took out a knife from his pocket and said to him: “You’re dating Jewish girls. We will **** you today!”
One of the three Israeli men then began punching Mohammed, who tried to flee. Mohammed eventually stopped running, at which point “the suspect and the others surrounded the complainant and started cursing him, telling him he wouldn’t be allowed to work in the market anymore and that they would screw him,” Haaretz additionally quoted the indictment as saying.
Weisenstern and his friends then began punching and kicking Mohammed until a passerby separated them. Mohammed reportedly suffered from injuries to his head, back, stomach and legs.
The suspect’s lawyer said Weisenstern was “a youth without a criminal past living under difficult circumstances,” claiming that Weisenstern was actually attacked by Mohammed, and that it was Mohammed who started the altercation, and that Weisenstern did not act out of racial or nationalist motivations.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis living in Jewish-only settlements across occupied the West Bank, in violation of international law, often commit attacks Palestinians, with activists and rights groups having long accused Israel of fostering a “culture of impunity” for Israeli settlers and soldiers who commit such acts.
The settler, who lives in the illegal Modiin Illit settlement, in the occupied West Bank, was identified as 18-year-old Yehiel Weisenstern. He was charged by a Jerusalem district court with aggravated assault and committing a racially-motivated hate crime.
According to Haaretz, the indictment said that Weisenstern saw the victim, identified only by his first name Mohammed, walking with a female Jewish friend who works with him in the Mahane Yehuda market area of downtown Jerusalem.
Weisenstern and two friends, who Haaretz said were unknown to authorities, allegedly became aggressive after Mohammed turned down their request for a cigarette.
The suspect and two friends began to follow Mohammed and his female friend, who the three Israeli men inquired about with regard to her Jewish ethnicity. According to the indictment, they then asked Mohammed “why he was going out with a Jew.”
According to Haaretz, when Mohammed tried to explain that he and the woman worked together, the suspect or one of his friends allegedly took out a knife from his pocket and said to him: “You’re dating Jewish girls. We will **** you today!”
One of the three Israeli men then began punching Mohammed, who tried to flee. Mohammed eventually stopped running, at which point “the suspect and the others surrounded the complainant and started cursing him, telling him he wouldn’t be allowed to work in the market anymore and that they would screw him,” Haaretz additionally quoted the indictment as saying.
Weisenstern and his friends then began punching and kicking Mohammed until a passerby separated them. Mohammed reportedly suffered from injuries to his head, back, stomach and legs.
The suspect’s lawyer said Weisenstern was “a youth without a criminal past living under difficult circumstances,” claiming that Weisenstern was actually attacked by Mohammed, and that it was Mohammed who started the altercation, and that Weisenstern did not act out of racial or nationalist motivations.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis living in Jewish-only settlements across occupied the West Bank, in violation of international law, often commit attacks Palestinians, with activists and rights groups having long accused Israel of fostering a “culture of impunity” for Israeli settlers and soldiers who commit such acts.
6 sept 2017
Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush
Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush turns to court requesting the temporary release of a man accused of physical and sexual abuse of his pupils, just so he can attend his daughter's wedding.
Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism) arrived in court earlier this week to request that an ultra-Orthodox teacher accused of physically abusing and sexually assaulting his students be allowed to attend a wedding.
Porush asked that the defendant, Avraham Mordechai Rosenfeld, 49, be allowed to go out to his daughter's wedding, and even promised to keep watch on him to prevent him from doing anything that would constitute an obstruction of justice. The State Attorney's Office objects to the request.
In August 2016, an indictment was filed against six teachers at the Talmud Torah Machzikei Hadass School in Tel Aviv for years of assault on students aged 3-10. The other five were all convicted in July, sentenced to community service and ordered to pay NIS 10,000 in damages to the victims.
Rosenfeld remains the main defendant as the allegations against him are much more severe than against the rest—with 19 abuse charges he committed against minors and an additional charge of abuse against his son. He is also accused of extorting and threatening his wife.
The court decided he would remain in custody until the end of his trial. Recently, he submitted a request to the court to allow him to attend his daughter's wedding, which will take place a few days before his wife is due to testify.
"We heard a lot about the defendant," Porush said in his request. "We are actually talking about a bride here. This is the most important day in her life, and when the father is not there it's traumatic.
"I am willing to be responsible for his release from prison, to bring him to the wedding hall for a few hours and to make sure nothing (illegal) happens, God forbid. I am willing to accompany him throughout the event in line with the court's decision. All so the bride gets to have her father attend her wedding."
A representative of the Tel Aviv prosecutor's office explained in the hearing that the defendant is accused of a long list of instances of extreme violence and ill-treatment. "The concern is that if he leaves, he will influence his wife's testimony," he said.
The court will rule on the request in the coming days.
Attorney Haim Greenwald, who represents the defendant, said his client denies the charges against him. "His daughter asked him to come to the wedding," said the lawyer. "Honorable people came here promising to ensure that (he will be kept under watch). All the complaints against him were filed years ago, so where is the danger?
"There will be separation in the wedding between men and women, so he will not come into contact with (his wife). I do not understand the State Attorney's Office's obsession with him."
Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush turns to court requesting the temporary release of a man accused of physical and sexual abuse of his pupils, just so he can attend his daughter's wedding.
Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism) arrived in court earlier this week to request that an ultra-Orthodox teacher accused of physically abusing and sexually assaulting his students be allowed to attend a wedding.
Porush asked that the defendant, Avraham Mordechai Rosenfeld, 49, be allowed to go out to his daughter's wedding, and even promised to keep watch on him to prevent him from doing anything that would constitute an obstruction of justice. The State Attorney's Office objects to the request.
In August 2016, an indictment was filed against six teachers at the Talmud Torah Machzikei Hadass School in Tel Aviv for years of assault on students aged 3-10. The other five were all convicted in July, sentenced to community service and ordered to pay NIS 10,000 in damages to the victims.
Rosenfeld remains the main defendant as the allegations against him are much more severe than against the rest—with 19 abuse charges he committed against minors and an additional charge of abuse against his son. He is also accused of extorting and threatening his wife.
The court decided he would remain in custody until the end of his trial. Recently, he submitted a request to the court to allow him to attend his daughter's wedding, which will take place a few days before his wife is due to testify.
"We heard a lot about the defendant," Porush said in his request. "We are actually talking about a bride here. This is the most important day in her life, and when the father is not there it's traumatic.
"I am willing to be responsible for his release from prison, to bring him to the wedding hall for a few hours and to make sure nothing (illegal) happens, God forbid. I am willing to accompany him throughout the event in line with the court's decision. All so the bride gets to have her father attend her wedding."
A representative of the Tel Aviv prosecutor's office explained in the hearing that the defendant is accused of a long list of instances of extreme violence and ill-treatment. "The concern is that if he leaves, he will influence his wife's testimony," he said.
The court will rule on the request in the coming days.
Attorney Haim Greenwald, who represents the defendant, said his client denies the charges against him. "His daughter asked him to come to the wedding," said the lawyer. "Honorable people came here promising to ensure that (he will be kept under watch). All the complaints against him were filed years ago, so where is the danger?
"There will be separation in the wedding between men and women, so he will not come into contact with (his wife). I do not understand the State Attorney's Office's obsession with him."
