Israel Police arrest 1st Jew for online incitement to violence

 

Police arrest a 37 yr-old Arad resident for posting incitement material on an online group called “The Jewish Gang”
• PM Netanyahu: I do not distinguish between acts of terror & incitement from either side; both will be dealt with severely.

By Itsik Saban & Shlomo Cesana

 

The first arrest of an Israeli Jew for online incitement to nationalistic crimes has been made. The National Cyber Crimes Unit of the Lahav 433 Major Crimes Unit arrested a 37-year-old Arad resident as part of the investigation into online incitement to racist and violent acts.

Jewish Israelis were questioned after posting material on an online group called “The Jewish Gang” – Photo: AP

Two more citizens, a 23-year-old from Mevaseret Zion and a 22-year-old from Petach Tikva, were detained for questioning over allegations of publishing online extremist material calling for violence. The two men were questioned for several hours and released with restrictive conditions, including five days of house arrest.

All three reportedly published messages of incitement on a page apparently belonging to an online group called “The Jewish Gang.”

Without specifically mentioning the arrest, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday: “Those who incite among us are put on trial, while incitement in the Palestinian Authority takes place in official media outlets and in the education system, incitement centered on the call for the destruction of Israel.

“We do not distinguish between different kinds of terrorism and we will deal with both [sides] severely. I do not distinguish between acts of incitement in the State of Israel. Just as I wholeheartedly condemn cries of ‘Death to the Arabs,’ I condemn cries of ‘Death to the Jews.'”

Science and Technology Minister Yaakov Peri said, “It is our job as leaders to restrain incitement and to dampen the flames. These messages [of incitement] have a huge influence on the population.”

 

View original Israel Hayom publication at: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=18627