Gallant orders four Israelis to be held without charge over West Bank riots
Israeli security forces argue with Israeli settlers at the entrance to the West Bank village of Turmus Ayya on the day that Jewish extremists set fire to homes and vehicles in the town, June 21, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant signed administrative detention orders on Wednesday to hold four Jewish extremists involved in recent attacks against Palestinians without charges, in line with recommendations from the Shin Bet security service.
The four are currently imprisoned, the Defense Ministry confirmed. Administrative detention enables them to be held in custody without charges for renewable six-month periods, practically indefinitely.
The measure, which is rarely used against Jewish Israelis, comes amid mounting pressure on Israel to curb a recent spate of vigilante attacks on Palestinian villages, which followed a Palestinian terror shooting that killed four Israelis last week.
A senior defense official said that “the four detainees have been involved for years in violent incidents, both open and secret.”
“In the past, they were detained and restraining orders were issued, but despite this, they have continued with their actions,” the official said, alleging that the four were behind the torching of several Palestinian homes and vehicles last week.
Administrative detention can be employed when the military or Shin Bet can provide evidence of suspects posing an immediate danger, but detainees are not granted access to the often-classified evidence against them. While it is rarely used against Jewish suspects, nearly 1,000 Palestinians are currently held in custody under the practice.
The controversial practice is one of the few tools available to the defense minister to combat Jewish extremism in the West Bank. As Israel has extended much of its laws over Israeli citizens within the territory, criminal matters largely fall under the purview of the police and the civilian judicial system.
Palestinians, by contrast, are subject to martial law.