Slippery Slope

Beitar Illit mayor, Meir Rubinstein, was questioned under warning on suspicion that he tried to prevent residents from complaining about two of the city’s residents who allegedly assaulted and threatened female residents they deemed guilty of “unchaste behavior.” (Ynetnews)

(Hebrew – Ynet)

Two Haredi residents of Beitar-Illit were arrested on suspicion of operating a ‘modesty squad’ in the city and assaulting female residents over what they deemed ‘unchaste behavior.’ (Ynetnews)

(Hebrew – Ynet)

Beitar Illit municipality charges 23 Shekels from each Palestinian labourer who wants to enter the city.

(Hebrew – Ynet)

Settlers pepper-sprayed and beat a Palestinian laborer in the settlement of Beitar Illit.

(Hebrew - HaKol HaYehudi)

Minister of Culture and Sport, Limor Livnat, has expressed understanding for exclusion of women in Haredi neighborhoods stating that “I am not sure if it bothers me if there is a decision to segregate buses in Modi’in Illit or Beitar Illit.  That is their way of life.  If it does not bother any woman, I am not sure if it bothers me.”

The Ministry of Construction and Housing  has published a tender for the construction of approximately 6,000 housing units, more than 1,000 of which will be built beyond the Green Line.  348 of these will be built in the settlement of Beitar Illit, another 500 in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa and 180 in the settlement of Givat Ze’ev.

Only 9.85 percent of the students in Bnei Brak are eligible for matriculation diploma, says data from the Ministry of Education. Other cities which are at the bottom of the list are: Qalansawe (with 32.7 percent), Modi’in Ilit (14.7 percent), Jisr az-Zarqa (12.5 percent), and Betar Ilit (6.5 percent).

(Hebrew)

A court granted the State Prosecutor’s request for movement restrictions on Adrian Schwartz, who is about to be released from prison after having served approximately 20 years in prison for having raped a 10-year-old girl. In accordance with the Defense of the Public from Sex Criminals Act the State Prosecutor asked – among other things – to impose house arrest on Schwartz between 21:00 hours and 06:00 for a year. Schwartz’ counsel criticized the decision by the State Prosecutor to make this motion only last week, thus preventing Schwartz from having the opportunity to hold an appropriate hearing of the motion.

Justice Moshe Drori of the Jerusalem District Court scolded the State Prosecutor because electronically overseen house arrest in not possible in some of the settlements in the Occupied Territories. Justice Drori ruled this week that detained prisoner Oron Cohen should be immediately connected to electronic shackling inside his home. He stated that “this is a principle and constitutional problem. As long as the State of Israel maintains Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria [the Occupied Territories] and provides them with water, electricity, telecommunications and other services… it is hard to imagine a more blatant discrimination between the residents of Beitar Illit and the residents of the State of Israel.” The State is filing an appeal with the Supreme Court.