Religious-Zionist Leaders Condemn Far-Right Violence, Support Shin Bet
A group of 47 prominent religious-Zionist rabbis signed a letter denouncing Jewish terror and supporting the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, in its investigation of the fatal firebombing of an Arab home in July, The Times of Israel reported on Friday.
“We condemn and reject all the detestable manifestations of violence and hatred, such as ‘price tag’ [attacks], directed against Arabs,” the letter read. “We rule that these actions are entirely contrary to the Torah of Israel and Jewish values.” Signatories included Rabbi David Stav, the head of the Tzohar organization, and Efrat Chief Rabbi Shlomo Riskin.
The Shin Bet has detained a number of Jewish suspects in the firebombing of the Dawabsha home in Duma that killed a father, mother, and an 18-month-old toddler. 5-year-old Ahmed Dawabsha, the sole survivor of the attack, is recovering in Ramat Gan.
The Shin Bet rejected claims of mistreating the suspects while in custody, saying in a rare statement on Thursday that “the purpose of the investigation underway at this time is to uncover an (underground) organization and disrupt future terror attacks.” The statement read as a defense of the organization’s use of judicially approved “moderate physical pressure” to obtain information in cases where there is an immediate threat to the lives of others, and was issued after attorneys for the suspects contested that the agency was engaging in abuse.
The attack on the Dawabsha home was universally condemned by Israel’s political and religious leadership. Earlier this month, authorities announced the arrest of the first suspects in the case.
http://www.thetower.org/2739-religious-zionist-leaders-condemn-far-right-violence-support-shin-bet/
