Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira, the head of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva, wasarrested Wednesday in connection with the investigation into theDecember 11 mosque attack in the village of Yasuf.
The head of the yeshiva in the Yitzhar settlement near Nabluswas called in for questioning on Sunday and arrived on Wednesday.However, Shapira refused to answer investigators' questions and wastherefore placed under arrest.
He is currently being investigated by police and Shin Bet (Israel Security Service).
A spokesman for Judea and Samaria District police told The Jerusalem Post on Monday that the rabbi was requested by police to appear before investigators at a time of his convenience.
Last month, the well-known rabbi made headlines when petitionerscalled on the High Court of Justice to indict him, together with RabbiYosef Elitzur - another teacher at the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva - forwriting and marketing a book in which they say Jewish religious lawpermits the murder of non-Jewish babies in times of war and that attimes it is preferable to deliberately kill innocent people as adeterrent measure.
"There are reasons for killing babies even though they have notviolated the seven sins, because of the danger that will arise if theyare allowed to live and grow up to be as evil as their parents," thepetitioners quoted from the book, The Torah of the King.