‘Free the hero’ – 2 arrested at right-wing protest for detained settler

The swift and heavy response of the police to the traffic disruptions was markedly different from action taken towards anti-judicial reform demonstrators.

By World Israel News Staff

Several hundred people demonstrated in Jerusalem on Sunday night, calling for the authorities to release Yechiel Indor, a Jewish man currently under arrest who shot and killed a Palestinian in what he said was an act of self-defense.

The protest, organized by the Zionist NGO Im Tirtzu and the Honenu legal defense organization which often represents settlers in legal matters, saw demonstrators gather at the Chords Bridge near the entrance to the city.

Some of the activists chanted “Free the hero!” and told Hebrew-language media that they believed Indor’s version of events in the deadly incident.

At least two people were arrested after the protesters blocked traffic for several minutes. Footage circulating on social media shows police violently dispersing demonstrators, including hitting and punching a restrained man on his back.

Notably, the swift response of the police in this case was markedly different from action taken towards anti-judicial reform demonstrators. For months, police have largely allowed left-wing protesters to shut down major roadways and thoroughfares throughout the country, including Ayalon Highway, for hours at a time.

But on Sunday evening, police quickly moved in to clear the right-wing activists from the roads.

Last week, Indor was one of several settlers who clashed with Palestinians near the outskirts of the PA-controlled enclave of Burqa.

Indor was seriously wounded by a large rock hurled at him by an 18-year-old Palestinian, sustaining major head injuries including a cerebral hemorrhage. He then managed to shoot the person who is believed to have attacked him.

The Biden administration was quick to condemn the incident as a “Jewish terror attack.”

Indor, who underwent brain surgery after the attack, was technically under arrest but remained in the hospital for several days. However, the Shin Bet security agency – which is leading the investigation into the incident – ordered the hospital to release him into the custody of the Prisons Service, according to Hebrew-language media reports.

Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sent a letter to the head of prisons questioning whether the entity can guarantee Indor’s wellbeing.

“I would like to receive a response from the Israel Prison Service on the matters, including on whether the detainee’s rights according to the law are preserved, and whether the [medical] professionals in the [Prisons Service] examined the need to extend his hospitalization,” Ben-Gvir wrote.