One of the incidents being investigated by Israel's security forces and that caused an uproar in Israel has taken a dramatic turn. The development is the result of work by the Israel Police and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet). For the time being there is a gag order on the details. It is believed that the order will be lifted in the next few days.
A few days ago, a senior IDF officer said that the security forces had managed to thwart several attacks planned by Jewish terrorist groups. "There is a constant effort to expose the perpetrators of the various crimes. We have thwarted acts of Jewish terror even in the past few weeks," the officer said.
In July this year, in an arson attack in the West Bank village of Duma, eighteen month-old Ali Dawabsha and his father Sa'ad were killed. The mother, Riham Dawabsha, subsequently died of her injuries. In September, Minister of Defense Moshe Ya'alon said that the Israeli security forces knew which group the arsonists came from, but could not act for fear of exposing intelligence sources.
At the beginning of August, Ya'alon ordered the security forces to use tough measures, among them administrative detention, against those suspected of involvement in Jewish terror activity. People suspected of fomenting violence and incitement to hate crimes were arrested.
The authorities in Israel had found it difficult to obtain evidence against inciters that would stand up in court. Ya'alon gave orders for widespread and unrestrained requests for the arrest of suspects even in the absence of adequate evidence.
Yesterday, two Jewish Israeli teenagers were convicted of the murder in July last year of 16 year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir, who was abducted, beaten and burned alive. A verdict has been delayed on the adult in the case, 31 year-old Yosef Haim Ben-David, who has pleaded insanity. Sentencing is due in January. The murder of Abu Khdeir was in revenge for the abduction and killing of three Jewish Israeli teenagers by a Hamas cell.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 1, 2015
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