13 mar 2019
Yinon Reuveni
The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine condemned the decision of an Israeli court to acquit two Israeli settlers, for torching Jerusalem's Dormition Abbey in February 2016, on the basis of “insufficient evidence,” on Tuesday.
The committee said in a press release that the Israeli court’s decision is a “deviation from justice, even in the courts, when it comes to convicting Jews while arresting young Palestinians without charge or evidence or trials and for long periods of times that can reach dozens of years.”
The committee added that these racist and subversive actions by extremist Israelis under the protection of the courts and the Israeli government will lead to the creation of future Israeli generations molded with ideas and actions hostile toward the Palestinians.
One of the Israeli settlers, Yinon Reuveni, 23, was also accused of arson of the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes at Tabgha, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, in June 2015.
The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine condemned the decision of an Israeli court to acquit two Israeli settlers, for torching Jerusalem's Dormition Abbey in February 2016, on the basis of “insufficient evidence,” on Tuesday.
The committee said in a press release that the Israeli court’s decision is a “deviation from justice, even in the courts, when it comes to convicting Jews while arresting young Palestinians without charge or evidence or trials and for long periods of times that can reach dozens of years.”
The committee added that these racist and subversive actions by extremist Israelis under the protection of the courts and the Israeli government will lead to the creation of future Israeli generations molded with ideas and actions hostile toward the Palestinians.
One of the Israeli settlers, Yinon Reuveni, 23, was also accused of arson of the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes at Tabgha, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, in June 2015.
12 jan 2019
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Hundreds of Palestinian Christians and their supporters gathered Friday in Haifa, in northern Israel, to protest an art exhibit that featured Ronald McDonald taking the place of Jesus on the cross.
The so-called “McJesus” exhibit was created by Finnish artist Jani Leinon, and has been on display at a gallery in Haifa as part of a gallery exhibition called ‘Sacred Goods’. It recently came to the attention of church authorities in Haifa, who called for the protest. The Greek Patriarchate said “While we express freedom of expression, this should not include mocking and targeting our religion and religious figures”. |
The Patriarchate added that they blame the municipality of Haifa for this exhibit. They said that the Municipality collects taxes, including from those Christians that were insulted by this exhibit.
This was especially insulting because the timing of the exhibit came just as the Greek Orthodox Christians were celebrating Christmas, according to their calendar.
The Israeli authorities claimed that the night before the protest, an unknown person threw a flaming bottle at the museum, causing minimal damage.
During the protest on Friday, Israeli police say that three of their officers were hit by rocks and bottles and injured. Dozens of Palestinian protesters were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.
The Israeli Cultural Minister, Miri Regev, on Thursday weighed in on the issue, saying that she had received “ many complaints of serious offense caused to the Christian community’s feelings”, and asked the Director General of Haifa Museums to remove the controversial artwork.
This was especially insulting because the timing of the exhibit came just as the Greek Orthodox Christians were celebrating Christmas, according to their calendar.
The Israeli authorities claimed that the night before the protest, an unknown person threw a flaming bottle at the museum, causing minimal damage.
During the protest on Friday, Israeli police say that three of their officers were hit by rocks and bottles and injured. Dozens of Palestinian protesters were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.
The Israeli Cultural Minister, Miri Regev, on Thursday weighed in on the issue, saying that she had received “ many complaints of serious offense caused to the Christian community’s feelings”, and asked the Director General of Haifa Museums to remove the controversial artwork.
1 jan 2019
Judge slams behavior of investigators after police set up a fake prison cell, pretended to be inmates and even planted drugs in his bed in an effort to secure a confession from the young settler
The Central District Court in Lod on Tuesday threw out a confession given by an Israeli minor detained as part of a far-reaching investigation into Jewish terrorism, on the grounds that it was extracted by unlawful means and under duress.
The teen has been charged with several racially motivated offenses, including arson and damage to property in a 2013 attack at the Abbey of the Dormition in Jerusalem. During the attack, graffitti reading "Christians are monkeys" and “Christians are slaves" was sprayed on the walls of the church.
The youth was also questioned on suspicion of involvement in the deadly Duma terror attack of 2015, in which three members of a Palestinian family died in a fire started by Jewish extremists at their West Bank home. The court, however, found he was not involved in the attack.
The decision to throw out the teen's testimony was made after his attorney, Itamar Ben-Gvir, argued that the Shin Bet domestic security service and the police unlawfully obtained the confession from his client, who admitted to carrying out the hate crimes while he was in custody in Acre.
On Thursday, the investigative television program Fact reported that the youth had been placed in a fake prison cell in Acre Prison, while policemen disguised as his cellmates applied massive pressure on him to confess to his actions, including stopping him from sleeping and eating.
One of the policemen played the role of a prisoner serving a murder sentence, and officers even planted fake drugs under his mattress to pressure him.
Ben-Gvir argued in court that a red line had been crossed and that unacceptable investigative measures had been used to get the confession.
Throwing out the confession, Judge Michal Brandt called the behavior of the police “unfair, to say the least, as well as offensive and threatening,” the Times of Israel reported.
Ben-Gvir praised the court's decision, saying his client had been denied his basic rights.
"This is an important day for Israeli democracy. The time has come for the Shin Bet and the police to know that the Hilltop Youth (young exteme-right settlers) also have basic rights. All red lines have been crossed in this investigation. I'm glad the court accepted our claim and disqualified the confession," Ben-Gvir said.
The Central District Prosecutor's Office said in a statement that they may rethink their strategy in light of the ruling.
"The defendant was charged with severe offenses, whose ramifications are also felt in internationally. The police and Shin Bet used measures they believed to be within the boundaries of the law. The court rejected the confession given by the minor under these conditions, and we will thoroughly review the court's decision and consider our future actions."
The Central District Court in Lod on Tuesday threw out a confession given by an Israeli minor detained as part of a far-reaching investigation into Jewish terrorism, on the grounds that it was extracted by unlawful means and under duress.
The teen has been charged with several racially motivated offenses, including arson and damage to property in a 2013 attack at the Abbey of the Dormition in Jerusalem. During the attack, graffitti reading "Christians are monkeys" and “Christians are slaves" was sprayed on the walls of the church.
The youth was also questioned on suspicion of involvement in the deadly Duma terror attack of 2015, in which three members of a Palestinian family died in a fire started by Jewish extremists at their West Bank home. The court, however, found he was not involved in the attack.
The decision to throw out the teen's testimony was made after his attorney, Itamar Ben-Gvir, argued that the Shin Bet domestic security service and the police unlawfully obtained the confession from his client, who admitted to carrying out the hate crimes while he was in custody in Acre.
On Thursday, the investigative television program Fact reported that the youth had been placed in a fake prison cell in Acre Prison, while policemen disguised as his cellmates applied massive pressure on him to confess to his actions, including stopping him from sleeping and eating.
One of the policemen played the role of a prisoner serving a murder sentence, and officers even planted fake drugs under his mattress to pressure him.
Ben-Gvir argued in court that a red line had been crossed and that unacceptable investigative measures had been used to get the confession.
Throwing out the confession, Judge Michal Brandt called the behavior of the police “unfair, to say the least, as well as offensive and threatening,” the Times of Israel reported.
Ben-Gvir praised the court's decision, saying his client had been denied his basic rights.
"This is an important day for Israeli democracy. The time has come for the Shin Bet and the police to know that the Hilltop Youth (young exteme-right settlers) also have basic rights. All red lines have been crossed in this investigation. I'm glad the court accepted our claim and disqualified the confession," Ben-Gvir said.
The Central District Prosecutor's Office said in a statement that they may rethink their strategy in light of the ruling.
"The defendant was charged with severe offenses, whose ramifications are also felt in internationally. The police and Shin Bet used measures they believed to be within the boundaries of the law. The court rejected the confession given by the minor under these conditions, and we will thoroughly review the court's decision and consider our future actions."
