IDF video of attack on Har Bracha

If you killed in self defense, would you be afraid to call the police?

You would if you lived in Israel and you were a Jew and your attacker was an Arab.

At the end of January, a Jew walking in the Har Bracha region was attacked. Two Arabs from the village of Arak Burin appear in a video clip distributed by the IDF spokesman. One can clearly be seen threatening the Jew with a rock in his hand, while the other is not far behind. Since he had no alternative, and since his life was clearly in danger, the victim fired his pistol and killed one of the attackers. See the incident caught on video.

Shortly thereafter, Judea and Samaria Division detectives began arresting and detaining residents of Samaria on suspicion of committing the act. The sole prima facie evidence connecting them to the incident is the type of weapon that they are licensed to hold, a pistol made by Glock. It need hardly be said that numerous such weapons have been licensed throughout the country.

In all cases the arrestees were released, but the police confiscated their weapons for examination. It should be noted that these arrests occur predawn in their homes as if they were escaped criminals. The latest occurring in Itamar to the son of former IDF Chief Rabbi Avichai Ronsky, whose family was terrified thinking that the police were terrorists attempting to again murder in that community.

Even though the police declared that this was a case of self defense the person who fired decided not to inform the police of the incident. One could correctly assume that this is due to the arbitrary conduct of the police and the courts in such cases. Many Jews who have been attacked are arrested and forced to remain in detention for long periods of time.

The person who fired apparently waited to hear of the arrest and imprisonment of the attackers. When no one was arrested he realized that the police was not interested in true justice.

Advocate Adi Keidar from Honenu said of the arrest: “The conduct of the police is very strange. The police announced that this was clearly a case of permitted use of a weapon for self defense. It is therefore unclear why the Police decided to investigate the Jews and once again ignore the criminal acts of the Arabs.”