Judge rules remarks by right-wing activist Ben-Ishay following outpost demolition not incitement.
By JPOST.COM STAFFsettlers rebuild federman farm 224.88(photo credit: Tovah Lazaroff)
Right-wing activist Shmuel Ben-Ishay, who declared Sunday that he wished the soldiers who destroyed the Federman Farm outpost in Judea to die, was released on bail Thursday afternoon hours after he was arrested on suspicion of incitement.
During an interview with Army Radio on Sunday, Ben-Ishay, a Kiryat Arba resident, said, "God damn the IDF units. We wish they would be destroyed by their enemies, that all of them would be Gilad Schalit, that they would all be killed and slaughtered, because that's what they deserve."
Nevertheless, a Jerusalem Magistrate's Court judge ruled that Ben-Ishay's words did not constitute incitement and he was released with restrictions and with a bail of just NIS 300.
Police summoned Ben-Ishay for questioning on Tuesday and Wednesday, but on both occasions, he failed to show up. Police then requested a warrant from the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court in order to interrogate the right-wing activist and he was arrested on Thursday morning.
His remarks to Army Radio were immediately condemned by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the start of Sunday's cabinet meeting.
On Tuesday, Ben-Ishay sent a letter to Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz in which he said that his outburst was intended only for those specific security personnel, and not indicative of his feelings regarding the IDF in general.
On Monday, Ben-Ishay told The Jerusalem Post that the words were spoken in the heat of the moment.
Herb Keinon and Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report
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