IDF wants Jewish extremists arrested before Gaza pullout News
IDF wants Jewish extremists arrested before Gaza pullout

[JURIST] An Israeli newspaper reported Monday that senior officers in the Israel Defense Forces [official website] want to pre-emptively detain a number of Israeli extremists before the planned Gaza Strip pullout [JURIST report] and evacuation of settlements this summer. On Sunday, authorities acting on orders of the Israeli Defense Minister arrested Jewish settler Neria Ofan, who will be held without charge or trial under administrative detention [Amnesty International backgrounder] on suspicion that he is connected to terror and will stage violent protests against Palestinians during the pullout. Administrative detention is frequently used to hold Palestinian militants, but is very rarely used against Jews. Ofan and other extremist Jews had threatened to storm the Temple Mount, a holy site revered by Jews and Muslims, this summer to pull police from Gaza to Jerusalem. A Jewish activist group, Revava [advocacy website], has similarly announced plans to storm the shrine on the first day of each Jewish calendar month. AP has more; Haaretz has local coverage.