Early Morning Arrest
Prominent Samaria Rabbi Roughed Up By Israeli Police
In a pre-dawn raid, Israeli police arrested Rabbi Menachem Ben-Shahar of the Homesh Yeshiva at his Samaria home on suspicion of incitement, confiscating family computers as legal aid group Honenu denounces the move.
Rabbi Menachem Ben-Shahar, a well-known educator and public figure in Samaria and a senior rabbi at the Homesh Yeshiva, was arrested early this morning at his home on suspicion of incitement.
Police forces raided Ben-Shahar’s home at dawn, conducted a full search, overturned furniture, and confiscated several computers, including work devices belonging to his wife and children. The arrest warrant, signed about two weeks ago by Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court Judge Gad Arenberg, cites suspicion of “incitement to violence and racism.”
Ben-Shahar, who also hosts a weekly podcast called “Talking on the Mountain” on the Jewish Voice website, is being assisted by the legal organization Honenu, which condemned the arrest. “While murder, terror, and Arab incitement run rampant, Israeli police chose to arrest a well-known rabbi without even summoning him for questioning,” the group said. “It appears someone in the police is undermining the government’s policy.”
A second Samaria resident was reportedly arrested on similar charges.