German national arrested for throwing rocks at IDF during West Bank protest
Authorities say 24-year-old confessed, are seeking to have him deported
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
A German national was arrested after throwing stones at IDF troops during a weekly demonstration in the West Bank city of Bil’in, Israel Police said Sunday.
The 24-year-old tourist was interrogated following his Friday arrest and confessed to the charges, according to authorities.
On Saturday evening, he was brought before the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court where his remand was extended until Monday.
“The investigation is ongoing and steps are being taken to expel him from Israel,” the police statement concluded.
An official from Germany’s embassy in Tel Aviv said he was looking into the matter, but declined to comment further.
Since 2005 the village of Bil’in has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance to Israel’s security barrier, which was established to thwart the waves of Palestinian suicide bombers entering Israel from the West Bank during the Second Intifada. Weekly protests at the site regularly lead to clashes between demonstrators and Israeli troops.
The fence has separated villagers in the area from much of their farmland. Palestinians claim this was done for political reasons, while Israel cites security concerns.
A High Court ruling in 2007 forced the Israeli government to change part of the barrier’s route, returning some of the agricultural land to the Palestinian side of the barrier.
The Times of Israel Community.