Chabad emissary detained at Ben-Gurion airport

Thursday, May 10, 19:45 A Chabad emissary and resident of Ma’ale Levona in the Binyamin region who returned with his wife and children this morning from half a year of outreach work in India was arrested at the Ben-Gurion airport in Lod. After negotiations between the police and a Honenu attorney the emissary was released.
H. and his family spent the past six months operating the Chabad House – teaching and also operating a kosher restaurant for the benefit of Jews traveling in the area – in the city of Dharamsala, India, a spiritual and mystical center which attracts a large number of travelers from all over the world, among them many Jews.
This morning the family landed at the Ben-Gurion airport where an unpleasant surprise awaited them. Airport police informed H. that the National Unit of Serious and International Crime Investigations had declared him wanted for investigation and therefore he was detained. After a short verification H. learned that the investigation concerned the publication of articles in “HaKol HaYehudi” more than a year ago which supposedly called for violence.
The publication “HaKol HaYehudi” has been under widespread investigation for approximately one year, including raids on the offices, confiscation of equipment and arrests of staff members. For example, last week two Yitzhar residents arrived at the offices of the National Unit of Serious and International Crime Investigations for an interrogation to which they had been summoned. The interrogation concerned the publication of articles in “HaKol HaYehudi” supposedly inciting to violence. The interrogatees were unconditionally released after a short interrogation. See here for an additional incident from June 2011 directly involving Honenu and here for an update on the case.
In negotiations with Honenu attorney Adi Kedar the National Unit of Serious and International Crime Investigations agreed that H. would report of his own volition to an interrogation this coming Sunday and that he and his family were currently free to return home.

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