Detention extended for most Jewish extremists held over attacks on photographer, foreign diplomats

The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Monday evening extended the detention of 10 Jewish rioters arrested in connection with the assault on photographer Heidi Levine and the suspected assault on foreign diplomats in the Binyamin region of the West Bank, as part of a police operation dubbed "Olive Leaf." Three suspects in the attack on the photographer were ordered held until Wednesday, October 21. A fourth suspect in the case claimed he was not at the scene, and authorities are examining his account. Meanwhile, Judge Hagit Plaut Babad extended by three days the detention of two suspects in the attack on the foreign diplomats, who refused to speak during questioning and did not cooperate with investigators. A representative of the investigating unit said that "these incidents cause damage to the State of Israel and harm its standing." Their attorney argued that "these are 'ynet arrests.' None of the suspects can be identified because the videos show that the people at the scene were wearing masks." In a separate hearing Monday, the court considered the cases of the four remaining suspects, who police say took over a Palestinian home in Area B of the West Bank and violated a closed military zone order. They are also suspected of leaving the house to carry out additional acts against Palestinians in the area. Their attorney, Daniel Shimshilashvili, argued that the suspects had not seen any indication that such an order was in effect in the area. "These are arrests for show," he told the court. The judge released three of the suspects under restrictive conditions but extended the fourth suspect's detention by three days, explaining that "there is reasonable suspicion that the offenses were committed." The police operation, dubbed "Olive Leaf," began Monday morning in cooperation with the Shin Bet security agency, supported by Border Police units operating in the West Bank and IDF forces. Ten suspects were arrested during the operation. Separately, a resident of Samaria was arrested Sunday on suspicion of involvement in other incidents of extremist violence. Prosecutors submitted a declaration of intent to indict him Monday, with an indictment expected as early as Tuesday. Attorney Asaf Gonen of the Honenu legal aid organization said after the hearing that "these are baseless arrests. The investigating unit is not providing evidence. It's all being done to appease the media and part of the Israeli public. I would expect the Israel Police, no matter how serious the incident, to stop for a moment and conduct a thorough investigation." Shimshilashvili also commented following the hearing. "We are leaving a heated hearing, and I can only quote the Prime Minister's Office, which wrote that serious accusations require evidence, and that evidence was not presented to the court. I am confident the detainees will be released as the case progresses," he said.