Newsletter
Newsletter Support JNS

Israel Police arrest northern resident over Havat Gilad post

The suspect’s writing about the deadly Samaria shooting prompted an investigation and the seizure of ammunition, cash and fireworks.

Items seized during a search of the suspect’s home are shown in this photo. Credit: Israel Police Spokesperson’s Unit.
Items seized during a search of the suspect’s home. Credit: Israel Police Spokesperson’s Unit.

A 39-year-old resident of Maghar on the Lebanese border has been arrested on suspicion of incitement offenses over social media posts referencing Friday’s deadly shooting near Havat Gilad (Gilad Farm) in Samaria, the Israel Police said on Sunday.

The terrorist attack left two Israel Defense Forces soldiers dead.

Northern District police opened an investigation after the posts, published from the suspect’s private account, raised concerns of incitement. Following legal authorization, officers detained the suspect on suspicion of incitement to racism, directly calling for a terrorist act and related offenses.

A search of his home yielded two loaded ammunition magazines, fireworks, more than 100,000 shekels ($36,109) in cash and additional evidence, police said.

“I’m scared of what’s going to happen now,” Miri Bar-Halpern, a Jewish psychology lecturer at Harvard Medical School, told JNS. “I can already predict the backlash.”
The country’s next government will depend on whether its political leaders can reconcile their competing commitments, or whether voters will again be asked to resolve a deadlock that negotiations could not.
“They will push legislation very hard to end the Iran war, and it’s not inconceivable that they could get a fair amount of Republican support for that,” William Galston of Brookings told JNS.
Belgrade police killed the minor, who was armed with two knives and was tied to the Islamic State, the Serbian Interior Ministry said.