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| Israeli Court Orders Man Accused of Leading Extremists to Be Held | Israeli Court Orders Man Accused of Leading Extremists to Be Held |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| JERUSALEM — Amid politicians’ promises to crack down on Jewish terrorism suspects after the fatal firebombing of a Palestinian home on Friday, an Israeli court on Tuesday ordered held for five days a young man who the authorities contend heads a dangerous network of extremists. | |
| The man, Meir Ettinger, 23, is the grandson of Meir Kahane — the slain American-Israeli rabbi considered the father of far-right Jewish militancy — and is the author of a hate-filled blog that rails against the Israeli government and calls for the “dispossession” of the non-Jewish inhabitants of the holy land. | The man, Meir Ettinger, 23, is the grandson of Meir Kahane — the slain American-Israeli rabbi considered the father of far-right Jewish militancy — and is the author of a hate-filled blog that rails against the Israeli government and calls for the “dispossession” of the non-Jewish inhabitants of the holy land. |
| Mr. Ettinger, who was arrested on Monday night, was described by Israeli news organizations as the most-wanted figure by the Jewish division of the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, and in March was barred from entering the occupied West Bank for a year. | Mr. Ettinger, who was arrested on Monday night, was described by Israeli news organizations as the most-wanted figure by the Jewish division of the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, and in March was barred from entering the occupied West Bank for a year. |
| It was unclear what charges he might face, or whether he was suspected of any connection to the masked men who witnesses said set fire to two homes in the West Bank village of Duma early Friday, killing 18-month-old Ali Saad Dawabshe and leaving his parents and 4-year-old brother critically burned. The Shin Bet said only that he had been “detained for his activity in an extremist Jewish organization.” | It was unclear what charges he might face, or whether he was suspected of any connection to the masked men who witnesses said set fire to two homes in the West Bank village of Duma early Friday, killing 18-month-old Ali Saad Dawabshe and leaving his parents and 4-year-old brother critically burned. The Shin Bet said only that he had been “detained for his activity in an extremist Jewish organization.” |
| Several Israeli commentators said on Tuesday that they expected Mr. Ettinger to refuse to cooperate with interrogators, and to be held in administrative detention, without formal charges, a tactic Israel uses regularly against Palestinians but very rarely against Jews. | Several Israeli commentators said on Tuesday that they expected Mr. Ettinger to refuse to cooperate with interrogators, and to be held in administrative detention, without formal charges, a tactic Israel uses regularly against Palestinians but very rarely against Jews. |
| Israel’s security cabinet on Sunday approved the use of administrative detention “to apprehend those responsible” for the attack in Duma and to “prevent similar attacks,” directing the security services to “take all necessary steps and to use all means at their disposal.” Gilad Erdan, the minister of internal security, said that would include “tiltul,” a Hebrew term for violently shaking a suspect, which Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled should be used only rarely, and to stop imminent violence. | Israel’s security cabinet on Sunday approved the use of administrative detention “to apprehend those responsible” for the attack in Duma and to “prevent similar attacks,” directing the security services to “take all necessary steps and to use all means at their disposal.” Gilad Erdan, the minister of internal security, said that would include “tiltul,” a Hebrew term for violently shaking a suspect, which Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled should be used only rarely, and to stop imminent violence. |
| “Any method is kosher,” Mr. Erdan said on Israel Radio on Monday. “Anything that is done when it comes to Palestinian terrorists, the same thing should be done when it comes to a Jewish terrorist.” | “Any method is kosher,” Mr. Erdan said on Israel Radio on Monday. “Anything that is done when it comes to Palestinian terrorists, the same thing should be done when it comes to a Jewish terrorist.” |
| Yuval Zemer, Mr. Ettinger’s lawyer, said his client was a victim of overreach by political leaders and security officials who were eager to make a strong statement after an attack that was condemned around the world. | |
| “No urgent reason to arrest him arose yesterday,” Mr. Zemer said on Army Radio, “except for a desire to show, ‘We are doing something, we are arresting.’ And of course, what could be better than the No. 1 person of interest.” | “No urgent reason to arrest him arose yesterday,” Mr. Zemer said on Army Radio, “except for a desire to show, ‘We are doing something, we are arresting.’ And of course, what could be better than the No. 1 person of interest.” |
| In a July 29 announcement of charges against two Jewish extremists in connection with an arson attack on June 18 at a church where Jesus is said to have performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes, the Shin Bet referred to Mr. Ettinger, though not by name, as the leader of a network that had been operating since 2013. The agency said he had earlier been banned from the West Bank and Jerusalem “given the danger he poses.” | In a July 29 announcement of charges against two Jewish extremists in connection with an arson attack on June 18 at a church where Jesus is said to have performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes, the Shin Bet referred to Mr. Ettinger, though not by name, as the leader of a network that had been operating since 2013. The agency said he had earlier been banned from the West Bank and Jerusalem “given the danger he poses.” |
| Israeli news organizations have reported that Mr. Ettinger was active for at least five years in the so-called hilltop youth, a radical — and ragtag — group of settlers that have been accused of vandalism and violence against Palestinians and their property. He spent six months in jail after trying to disrupt the Israeli military’s evacuation of illegal settlement outposts, these reports said, and broke into Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus after being barred from the contested site. | |
| Last year, Mr. Ettinger was among a group of 18 settlers held for hours by Palestinian residents of Qusra after a clash amid the village’s olive trees that included rock throwing. | Last year, Mr. Ettinger was among a group of 18 settlers held for hours by Palestinian residents of Qusra after a clash amid the village’s olive trees that included rock throwing. |
| Mr. Ettinger denied in a blog post last Wednesday, the day of the arrests in the church arson and less than two days before the attack in Duma, that he was the head of any group. | Mr. Ettinger denied in a blog post last Wednesday, the day of the arrests in the church arson and less than two days before the attack in Duma, that he was the head of any group. |
| The Shin Bet “understands that all of these acts they are chasing after do not grow from an ‘organization,’ ” he wrote, “but rather from the grounds and from the most simple and basic understandings, which drive people to feel like they need to act, to do something,” | The Shin Bet “understands that all of these acts they are chasing after do not grow from an ‘organization,’ ” he wrote, “but rather from the grounds and from the most simple and basic understandings, which drive people to feel like they need to act, to do something,” |
| “Truth must be told,” he added. “There is no terrorist organization, but there are many, many Jews, many more than they might think, who hold on to a scale of values that is totally different than those of the Supreme Court or the Shin Bet.” | “Truth must be told,” he added. “There is no terrorist organization, but there are many, many Jews, many more than they might think, who hold on to a scale of values that is totally different than those of the Supreme Court or the Shin Bet.” |