The Magistrate’s court in Petach Tikvah had harsh words for the police today following their bizarre arrest this morning of a minor from his parents’ home in Yitzhar.
The 15-year-old boy, a recipient of an anti-democratic administrative distancing order, was forcibly removed him from his parents’ home at 3 AM this morning.
The police and the Shabak broke into the boy’s home, without a warrant, and took the boy away. He was not allowed to be accompanied by a parent as required by law. He was not allowed to take his personal items including his T’fillin. His parents’ had their phones confiscated during the arrest so they couldn’t contact their lawyers for assistance.
A hearing was called and the police demanded the Petach Tikva court allow them to keep the boy in jail for 3 days while they investigate why he didn’t leave his parents’ home as the IDF ordered.
The boy has no where to go if he is removed from his home.
The court told the police,
“The picture we’ve seen so far is unsatisfactory. It seems that not enough consideration [by the police] was given, if any at all, to the relevant welfare authorities. And certainly now that the police have arrested the boy, they [the welfare authorities] must now be made involved.”
The boy’s lawyer, Chai Haber from the Honeinu legal aid society, expressed gratitude that finally there was one sane voice of authority that realized that there are rules and laws to be followed, which the police did not do.
“We must remember that we are talking about a minor with no criminal record,” his lawyer said. Haber added the police were not only acting like “thought police” arresting the boy based on what they thought he might do, but treating him like an object that they could throw anywhere they want.
The court ordered the boy sent back to his home, under house arrest.
Update: The court also queried the police regarding the conditions the boy would have on the farm, including the availability of kosher food. The police said they were unable to answer the court’s questions, as they didn’t know the answers.