Overturning order barring left-wing activist from Palestinian village, court questions authorities’ inability to detain settlers

In an unusual decision, the Central District Court accepts an appeal by IDF reservist Col. Doron Meinert, who was arrested Tuesday in the West Bank’s Khirbet al-Tawil, south of Nablus, on suspicion of entering a closed military zone.

Meinert, an activist with the left-wing “Looking the Occupation in the Eye” organization, was arrested after arriving at the site of a Palestinian water cistern reportedly taken over by settlers.

Footage he filmed at the time shows soldiers standing alongside settlers who had arrived at the site of the cistern used by local Palestinian residents, which is not located within the closed military zone declared by the military.

Despite the footage, the IDF told The Times of Israel that it was unaware of any soldiers who had been present at the site.

Meinert told The Times of Israel on Tuesday that the soldiers called the police, who told him he was inside a closed military zone. When he refused to leave the area, he was arrested. He maintained at the time that he was not within the area covered by the order, while settlers who were inside the closed military zone were neither removed nor arrested.

At a hearing in a magistrate’s court yesterday, a judge accepted the police’s position and barred Meinert from Khirbet al-Tawil for 10 days.

However, on appeal to the district court today, the judge accepts Meinert’s argument that he had been outside the area covered by the order and questions why the settlers who were at the scene were not detained.

“It is appropriate to express puzzlement at the law enforcement authorities’ decision to detain only the appellant, who did not leave the area, when it can be seen that numerous settlers were present at the scene… none of whom were detained or arrested,” the ruling says.