Beduin storage tent in West Bank destroyed in suspected arson

A Beduin tent that served as a storage facility was completely destroyed in suspected arson near the West Bank village of Ein Samia early Thursday morning. Hebrew graffiti, reading “Administrators of revenge,” was found scrawled at the scene, in an apparent reference to the recent administrative detentions of extremist right-wing Jews. NGO Rabbis for Human Rights said that “luckily there were no people in the tent, but only food for herd animals.” The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) arrested three Jewish youths near the Kochav Hashahar settlement on Thursday who may be linked to the arson of the Beduin tent. Police also seized a vehicle belonging to one of the suspects. The youths were taken for questioning at a Shin Bet facility in Petah Tikva, and an order was issued prohibiting them from meeting with legal counsel. Earlier in that morning, four youths were arrested in the same area, and they are expected to be released soon. The organization Honenu, which provides legal assistance to Jews accused of illegal right-wing activism, protested the order prohibiting the suspects to meet with counsel and said it seriously harmed the suspects' rights. Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon signed two decrees ordering administrative detention for far-right figures Meir Ettinger and Evyatar Slonim on Sunday. The decrees were signed due to the suspects' “involvement in extremist Jewish organizations,” a source close to the defense minister said. Each administrative detention decree allows the Shin Bet to keep suspects in custody for up to six months without a trial, after which a judge would need to renew the order.

Beduin storage tent in West Bank destroyed in suspected arson

Graffiti in Hebrew found at site referring to recent administrative detention of extremist Jews.

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