Arrests of Palestinians over rioting hit ‘unprecedented’ levels

Over 1,500 people have reportedly been detained and 400 prosecuted since current wave of terror and violence began

By JTA 5 November 2015, 2:02 am

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Illustrative: Israeli policemen check Palestinian youths at Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem on October 18, 2015. (AFP/Ahmad Gharabli)

Israel has seen an “unprecedented” number of detained suspects and indictments on charges of participating in riots over the last two months.

Since the Rosh Hashanah eve rock attack on a car driving through a Jewish neighborhood of eastern Jerusalem that left a Jewish-Israeli man dead, 1,553 people have been arrested for rioting and 437 indicted, Ynet reported Wednesday, citing police data obtained by the news website.

Some 800 people were arrested for incidents in Jerusalem, and most of those detained were from East Jerusalem, according to Ynet. Some 120 indictments followed those arrests.

The intensive arrest activity came after six special investigation teams from across Israel were deployed to Jerusalem for a 10-day operation.

Of the 499 people arrested for disturbing order in the West Bank, 237 were indicted, according to the report.