The Yesha Council umbrella group of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria urged the Israeli government on Sunday to close down the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) department that deals with Jewish terror.
“Last night, we were exposed to many of the opinions and tactics of the department head, but unfortunately, these have been common in the division for a very long time,” the group wrote, referring to a Kan News exposé in which the head of the Shin Bet’s Jewish Department admitted to arresting Judea and Samaria residents without cause.
“For decades, the Jewish Department has not been an anti-terrorism unit against all citizens of the state, but rather an intelligence body that acts only against Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria, and through illegal measures,” the umbrella group’s missive charged. “A body that functions in such a selective manner has no place in a democracy.
“We ask you to bring up a resolution to close the Jewish Department in the Israel Security Agency at the next government meeting,” wrote the Yesha Council. It added, “As in the rest of the State of Israel, if there are suspicions against a resident of the state, then the police are the ones who must investigate and act upon the matter, according to the law.”
The department head, only identified as “A.” in keeping with censorship restrictions, suspended himself from active duty after Kan published the recording in which he was heard speaking with Avishai Muallem, former head of the Judea and Samaria Police District’s Central Unit, who was investigated after allegedly refusing to cooperate with the Shin Bet.
“We always want to arrest them for questioning, as many as possible. Look how Shin Bet interrogations are conducted with them. We arrest these jerks, even without evidence, for a few days. Put them in detention cells with mice,” the top Shin Bet officer could be heard telling Muallem.
The published recordings sparked an uproar in Judea and Samaria and within Israel’s Cabinet.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement calling it “a shocking revelation” and “a real danger to democracy.” The statement added, “In light of this serious recording, the prime minister will demand a thorough examination of the activities of the Jewish Department in the Shin Bet.”