Settlers hold protest against violent arrest of Boaz Albert

Albert was tasered, dragged across the floor by Border Police; protest is backed by Knesset members from the Bayit Yehudi party.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF, BEN HARTMAN
Yitzhar resident Boaz Albert arrest 370 (photo credit: YouTube Screenshot)
Yitzhar resident Boaz Albert arrest 370
(photo credit: YouTube Screenshot)
Right wing politicians over the weekend protested the arrest of settler Boaz Albert against whom Border Police used a taser gun. They delivered electric shocks to his chest as he lay on his back in his home surrounded by officers.
Albert was arrested on Thursday night for violating an administrative restraining order mandating that the father-of-six stay away from Judea and Samaria, even though he lives in the West Bank Yitzhar settlement.
MK Moti Yogev (Bayit Yehudi) wrote a letter of protest on Saturday night to Defense Minister Moshe Yahalom and Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovtich.
MK Orit Struck (Bayit Yehudi) on Saturday night said that such administrative restraining orders must be stopped, because they are issued without any judicial procedures and without any explanation.
In 2007, the Knesset plenum approved a declaration against administrative restraining orders issued without judicial procedures, Struck said. It garnered support from many of the parties in the Knesset including Likud, Kadima, Shas, United Torah Judaism, Yisrael Beitenu, National Union, Labor and Meretz, Struck said.
But, she said, the Knesset’s declaration must now be turned into law.
“I call on everyone who cares about human rights to protest against the arrest of Boaz Albert whose only crime is his conscientious and justified refusal to obey an administrative detention order that is anti-democratic and immoral,” she said.
On Friday, two other Bayit Yehudi MKs, Zevulun Kalfa and Shuli Moalem-Rafaeli, also spoke out against administrative retraining orders and in support of Albert.
According to Struck, the IDF issued the order against Albert a few weeks ago.
Even before his arrest on Thursday night, Albert’s case had generated publicity and the support of various right wing parliamentarians because it is the second restraining order issued against him. The first restraining order was issued against him in 2007, Struck said.
She visited Albert on Thursday evening. That night after she left, Border Police forced their way into his home to arrest him. The incident was caught on video and circulated to the media on Friday morning.
In the video his children can be heard crying, and someone asks that the children be allowed to leave to a neighbor’s home.
Next in the video there is the sound of someone yelling, “stop, stop,” and the sound of a taser gun firing.
In the next video shot, two or three border policemen are seen dragging Albert across the floor. One of them shoots a taser gun at his chest, as Albert lies on his back.
Border Police said in response, on Thursday night, that the Judea and Samaria District’s YASSAM unit tried to arrest Albert when another man appeared and attempted to prevent the arrest. The decision was made to use force and a taser was used against him, a spokesman said.
“Boaz Albert did not resist arrest,” the spokesman added.
On Friday, the Border Police described the incident as follows: “Last night, officers from the Judea and Samaria District’s YASSAM unit carried out an arrest of a person violating an administrative restraining order for the third time. In the video you can see that it has been edited and is biased, but if we ignore that we can still observe the police conducting themselves with determination and without the use of violence, in keeping with regulations.”
A District Court in Lod ordered Albert released on Friday, but his restraining order still stands.
The Legal Forum for the Land of Israel called on the police to investigate what it called “illegal” and “abusive” use of a taser gun.
Attorney Yitzhak Baum wrote a letter to the police said that according to the law, the gun could only be used when a suspect is resisting arrest.
“In this case, the suspect is lying on the floor and did not resist arrest,” Baum wrote.
Settlers on Saturday night held a small protest in support of Albert, in the West Bank.