Shin Bet slams Bennett for green lighting 'Jewish terror' - report

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett canceled the administrative detention of a Jew who threw a rock at a Palestinian in a vehicle less than two days after signing the order.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB, JEREMY SHARON
Naftali Bennett at a ceremony at the education ministry (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Naftali Bennett at a ceremony at the education ministry
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) unleashed a rare public attack on Defense Minister Naftali Bennett for canceling the administrative detention of a Jew who threw a rock at a Palestinian in a vehicle, less than two days after signing the order, Channel 12 reported Wednesday night.
 
Bennett issued the unusual detention order on Monday, but by Tuesday had canceled it, with the Shin Bet telling Channel 12 that his actions had given a green light to Jewish terror like the 2015 arson murder of a Palestinian family at Duma.
The defense minister defended his actions as having occurred after a more careful review of the case.
However, based on the timing, it appeared that Bennett canceled the detention order following political pressure from his right-wing camp.
The Jerusalem Post asked Bennett late Tuesday night to explain whether he had properly reviewed the evidence when signing the administrative detention order, or whether he had folded to political pressure, since to the Post’s knowledge, no order has ever been canceled within less than 48 hours of being signed.
Bennett’s spokesman declined to elaborate beyond the initial response.
Typically, such detention orders run for three to six months, and with Palestinians can sometimes extend for around two years.
Administrative detention orders are only issued for persons who the Shin Bet views as serious dangers to security.
Rock throwing at persons in moving vehicles has led to murder charges when killing the driver or passenger.
The Shin Bet’s spokesperson declined to comment officially.
Speaking at a Yamina party conference on Wednesday night, Bennett said that the suspect “wasn’t a ticking time bomb,” but said that he had committed “severe” acts and that he was released with restrictions, and called on the security services to indict the individual.
He criticized the Shin Bet for attacking him in public, calling the comments “very severe, and said that as defense minister and someone entrusted with the security of everyone, I am not the rubber stamp of anyone.”
Said Bennett “I have opinions and values, and we need to balance in the correct way the security of the state and the values of freedom of the state,” adding however that “I don’t accept any violence, not by Arabs or Jews. Whoever injures IDF solders or uses violence against Arab civilians, this is something very severe and no one here accepts it.”


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