Demonstrations in Israel over teenagers held in West Bank ‘Jewish terror’ case

The arrest of the teenagers led to angry protests this week in Jerusalem and outside the court in Rishon LeZion, south of Tel Aviv.

Supporters held protests outside the court on Sunday and tried to block the main entrance to Jerusalem on Tuesday.

One of the suspects’ lawyers, Itamar Ben Gvir, said that in previous interrogations of his client, “police abused a minor, starved him and threatened him using severe manipulations to try and force him to confess.”

“The judge’s order preventing a lawyer’s meeting is intended to intensify the pressure and the abuse,” he added.

Shin Bet has been allowed to use so-called “special measures” in questioning Jewish terror suspects following an arson attack in the West Bank village of Duma in 2015, when a Palestinian couple and their 18-month-old baby were murdered by an Israeli.

The methods include physical pressure such as sleep deprivation and have been sharply criticised by human rights organisations.

Sources close to this investigation said that such special measures had not been authorised in this case.