Elisha Yered (L) and Atty. Nati Rom (R); Photo credit: Honenu
Thursday, August 10, 2023, 18:59 The Supreme Court rejected, out of hand, the request by the State Attorney’s Office to appeal the release of Elisha Yered to house arrest. Justice Ruth Ronen wrote in the decision that the evidence presented by the GSS is insufficient to keep Yered in remand: “I did not find that the request is among the exceptional cases justifying allowing an appeal.” Justice Ronen also explained that holding Yered in remand so that the police had time to appeal to the Supreme Court was an unjustified delay of justice.
Honenu Attorney Avichai Hajbi, who is representing Elisha Yered, commented on the decision: “The Supreme Court rejected out of hand the request from the State Attorney’s Office. The time has come for the investigating unit to concentrate on arresting the Arab attackers and ensuring that they are imprisoned for many years.”
Honenu Attys. Keidar, Rom, and Hajbi (L to R); Photo credit: Honenu
Honenu Attys. Keidar, Rom, and Hajbi (L to R); Photo credit: Honenu
Honenu Attorneys Nati Rom and Adi Keidar added, “We are pleased that the Supreme Court decided to put an end to the negligent work by the State Attorney’s Office, the GSS, and the Israel Police in Yered’s case in the various courts. We hope that now they will devote themselves to a thorough investigation, apprehend the rioters who attacked our clients, and not repeatedly find evidence that the court rejects because there is no connection between it and the charges. Note that the four Arab detainees, the only ones in the case, were released today. Not even one appeal to the District Court has been filed in their cases, which shows a discriminatory policy.”
Prior to the Supreme Court decision, the attorneys gave statements regarding the request for the appeal. Honenu Attorney Avichai Hajbi stated, “The State Attorney and the GSS are persecuting Elisha Yered. This conduct is inappropriate for governmental authorities in a democratic state.”
Honenu Attorney Nati Rom added, “Filing a request to allow an appeal in criminal proceedings is rare, not to mention receiving such authorization. The State Attorney and the GSS have not allowed the facts to confuse them, not even for a moment. They will not let the facts and the court rulings confuse them. They refuse to get down from their high horse, and they are trying to force the system to rule only in accordance with what they want. If only they would use a slight amount of the effort that they invest here against the 300 rioters who attempted to murder my clients and others.”
Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar further stated, “The request is regrettable. It seems the General Security Service, Israel Police, and State Attorney prioritize their self-esteem over human rights and legal procedures. We hope that the court will reject the request out of hand without holding a hearing on the matter.”
Background
On Friday, August 4, shortly before the onset of Shabbat, near Oz Tzion in the Binyamin region, dozens of Arab rioters attacked a Jewish shepherd and local Jewish residents who came to his assistance. The incident began when the Jewish shepherd left Oz Tzion to graze his flock in the area between Oz Tzion and the nearby Arab town of Burqa. Several Arabs approached and threatened him. The shepherd, who felt that he was in danger, summoned other Oz Tzion residents who came to stay with him and prevent the situation from deteriorating.
Dozens of Arabs armed with clubs, fireworks, and large rocks surrounded the Oz Tzion residents. The Arabs launched fireworks directly at the residents and hurled the rocks at them from point-blank range, endangering their lives. The residents called the army and civilian security forces for help. One resident (Yehiel Indor) was hit in the head with a rock and seriously injured. With his remaining strength, he opened fire with his legally-owned personal weapon to defend his life. Several other residents were slightly injured. According to media reports, one of the Arab rioters was killed. Elisha Yered, who transported Indor to an ambulance, and Indor were detained.