Honenu Attorneys Gonen (L) and Shimshilashvilli (R); Photo credit: Honenu

Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 16:58 The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court today (Wednesday) released to house arrest all but one of the detainees from last Friday and Saturday’s incidents involving an American journalist and a French diplomat.

In her ruling on the four men accused of assaulting the American journalist, Judge Moria Charka stated that “from the single video presented, it is clear the assault took place during a larger incident of massive stone-throwing. The detainees are not suspected of that stone-throwing, which was carried out by Palestinians.”

One of the detainees is a medic who was on duty at the time. He provided a solid, verified alibi: he had gone to the scene to treat the wounded and sent real-time messages documenting his actions. He was nevertheless arrested, and his detention was extended. The police themselves released the medic, along with another detainee, earlier this morning—before the court hearing.

In the case involving the French diplomat, one detainee was released due to very low suspicion. Regarding the second detainee, the judge found that suspicion had strengthened and extended his detention.

Honenu Attorney Assaf Gonen said: “As we stated from the beginning, these were arrests for show and false arrests intended to satisfy media pressure and foreign interests. Ultimately, this appears to be yet another part of a defamation and persecution campaign, and of wholesale arrests unrelated to fair legal proceedings. These arrests were meant to meet external pressure. When this ‘tempest in a teacup’ is forgotten, the same people who were falsely arrested will remain, and no one will compensate them for the days taken from them.”

Honenu Attorney Daniel Shimshilashvili added: “I welcome the court’s decision rejecting the request by the Shabak’s Jewish Department to extend the detention of the innocent Yehuda and Shomron residents. Law-enforcement agencies should stop dancing to the tune of orchestrated, hostile campaigns by Israel’s enemies. The resources wasted on these cases should instead be directed toward pursuing the real enemy.”