Settler Administrative Detention: Court Rules on Dardik Case

Major General Avi Bluth, commander of the IDF's Central Command, issued a revised administrative order Monday against Tal Yinon Dardik, a settler suspected of involvement in nationalist violence. Under the new terms, Dardik will be barred from entering Judea and Samaria, except for the city of Modi'in Illit, where he resides.

The modification follows a Sunday ruling by the Jerusalem District Court, which determined that the original restriction and supervision order against Dardik was unworkable. The court gave Bluth 48 hours to issue a new decision.

While the judge found that Dardik poses a significant danger and that restrictions against him were justified, proportionate, and reasonable, the original order placing him under house arrest at his mother-in-law's home could not be implemented because she refused to host him.

Israel Katz with Avi Bluth (Photo: Elad Malka, Ministry of Defense)

According to a military statement, "Following the court's decision, the Central Command chief updated the order's terms so that instead of restriction to a specific area, Dardik will be banned from the Judea and Samaria region, as he agreed during proceedings, except for the city of Modi'in Illit."

While in Modi'in Illit, Dardik must report to the local police station twice daily. The order's expiration date remains unchanged from the original directive. The IDF clarified that "as has been stated throughout, Dardik was informed that if he agrees to wear electronic monitoring equipment, the request will be considered favorably for the purpose of easing the conditions imposed."

The case became a flashpoint in a highly publicized confrontation between Defense Minister Israel Katz and Major General Bluth. Katz supported canceling the restriction order against Dardik, while Bluth advocated maintaining it.

The dispute reached its peak when Katz announced during a live broadcast that Major General Dodo Bar would replace Bluth as Central Command chief. The declaration sparked controversy, forcing the minister to backtrack during a meeting with municipal leaders in Judea and Samaria, where he clarified that "Major General Bluth is performing his duties well."

Dardik is suspected of involvement in attacks on Palestinians in March of this year. Because insufficient criminal evidence was gathered to bring charges against him, Blot issued an administrative supervision and restriction order on the recommendation of the Shin Bet security service.

The original order required Dardik to remain under full house arrest for six months at his mother-in-law's residence, but she refused to allow it. When Dardik failed to appear at the location specified in the administrative order, security authorities viewed this as a violation. He was detained at the Russian Compound detention facility in Jerusalem, and an indictment was filed against him for refusing to comply with the administrative order.