Apparently, the very idea that Meir Ettinger, the young grandson of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, is still alive and kicking and creating some media noise is driving the Israeli defense apparatus bonkers. On Monday, the system formed a united front to prevent this mega-dangerous prisoner — detained without an indictment or any proof of wrongdoing, other than being born into the Kahane clan — from attending the bris of his firstborn son.
Then we reported here about a complaint Ettinger’s attorney filed on his behalf, demanding that a prison guard who had been abusing her client be investigated. It turned out the abuse began when Ettinger, who was refused his call to his wife by the guard in question, went over his head and received his call. That didn’t go over well with the guard. The next day, Ettinger refused to respond to the same guard’s call because he, Ettinger, was praying.
But those were small issues in comparison with the apparent plot on the part of Ya’alon et al to keep Ettinger in prison without charges for the rest of the defense minister’s stay in office.
The original detention order, signed by Ya’alon, was for the maximum time allowed by law — six months. Then Ya’alon added four months, again without showing rhyme or reason. At some point during his detention, the Israel Prison Authority placed Ettinger in solitary confinement. Except that the law regarding solitary confinement says you can’t keep a prisoner isolated for more than six months without a court hearing.
So Ettinger and his attorney were taken to see a judge and hear the arguments on the part of the IPA why he should not see another human face other than his guards, while being confined without charges.
Suddenly, according to a Kol Hayehudi report, a representative of the secret police, Shabak, stood up in court and showed the judge an administrative decree signed by Defense Minister Ya’alon saying Ettinger should be kept in solitary confinement during his administrative detention.
Ettinger and his attorney asked to see the document, and the prisoner without cause noticed that the date on the decree was for one day prior to the court hearing. Why then was the prison authority asking to see the judge when there already was a decree that took them off the hook?
The judge, too, was wondering, what would have happened had he ruled in favor of the prisoner? What’s the meaning of a ruling when there’s already an administrative decree that annuls it?
The embarrassed folks from Shabak and IPA told the judge they wanted to make sure Ettinger’s isolation continued, no matter how. The judge did not accept their answer and ordered them to come up with a well-reasoned response in another hearing in two weeks.
It’s a minor victory for a prisoner who has been branded public enemy number one largely for running a blog that vehemently disagrees with the government on its defense and legal policy.