The Shin Bet security service says that since the arrests of several Jewish extremists who allegedly firebombed a Palestinian home in July, there has been an ongoing effort by right wing groups to discredit the security service and its members.
In a statement, the Shin Bet adds that while these attempts must be condemned, they will not have any bearings on the agency’s future operations.
Israel has come under heavy internal and external pressure to try those responsible for the deadly arson, which killed eighteen-month-old Ali Saad Dawabsha and his parents, with rights groups questioning the delay in the case and contrasting it to the swift reaction often following Palestinian terror attacks. Israel introduced the use of administrative detention — holding suspects without trial for extended periods — against Jews for the first time in the wake of the Duma killings.
Inside the Dawabsha home in Duma. A doll wrapped in a Palestinian flag rests in a stroller to honor Ali. (Eric Cortellessa/Times of Israel)
On December 3, Israeli authorities said they had arrested a number of alleged Jewish extremists over the firebombing. They have not yet been publicly identified and there has been no indication they have been charged.
Israel’s high court on Sunday continued to deny lawyers’ access to three suspects.
The Shin Bet can request a denial of access by lawyers for up to 21 days.
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