Eight arrested during protest against Duma attack

Eight people were arrested Sunday night during a protest against Jewish extremism, following the firebombing attack in the West Bank Palestinian village of Duma last week which killed an 18-month-old boy and his father, and left his mother and four-year-old brother in serious condition.

The protest was held in Acre, hometown of some of those who were detained. Others were from nearby communities in the Galilee.

Police said the protest was held without a license. Later, some of the protesters started knocking down doors and kicking cars, causing some damage.

They were arrested on suspicion of causing public disturbances, and causing damage to private property.

Early on Sunday, police and agents of the Shin Beit security service raided several homes in settlement outposts in the West Bank and detained at least nine people.

One of the outposts targeted was Adei Ad, part of the Shiloh bloc of settlements. The outpost lies several kilometers from Duma, where the July 31 attack occurred. It is believed to have been carried out by Jewish extremists.

Full details of the raids were under a gag order, although initial reports after the firebombing attack said the killers may have set out for Duma from nearby settlement outposts.

Following the attack, which was widely condemned in Israel, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon approved the use of administrative detention orders against Jewish far-right activists. Administrative detention is often used by security forces to detain Palestinian suspects in the West Bank for extended periods without trial.

A senior defense official told Israel Radio Sunday that there would be no easing of pressure on Israeli extremist groups and that security forces intended to apprehend the perpetrators behind the attack in Duma.

Last Monday, Meir Ettinger, the grandson of the late Israeli-American ultranationalist Rabbi Meir Kahane, was arrested and held in detention over alleged connections to extremist activity. Several other Jewish activists are also being held without trial in the wake of the Duma attack.