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Last update - 07:17 11/12/2008 ANALYSIS / Israeli legal system going soft on settlers By Akiva Eldar Tags: Hebron, Israel News  The decision Wednesday by Jerusalem Magistrate's Court Judge, Malka Aviv, to order the release of Ze'ev Braude, the settler suspected of shooting a Palestinian following the evacuation of the House of Contention in Hebron, did not come as a surprise to either the State Prosecutor's Office or human rights groups. A brief search on the judiciary's Web site reveals that Aviv, according to her CV, is herself is a long-term settler. She was one of the first settlers of Gigit, a moshav which was established in the Jordan Valley in 1975. During 41 years of occupation, many settlers and supporters of Jewish settlements in the West Bank have risen to senior posts in the Israel Defense Forces and hold key offices in the Civil Administration as well. Advertisement The friendly handling of settler Noam Federman's case a week ago, by Judge Moshe Drori, was not unusual. Although the settler breached an area declared a "special security zone," violating a military order and promises made by the local council head to restrain renegade settlers, Drori reprimanded the state for removing Federman. That same spirit of lenience was applied when the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court sentenced Yifat Elkobi to four months of community service, a fine of a mere NIS 300,000 and gave her a six-months suspended sentence, after she was convicted of throwing stones at the home of a Palestinian in Hebron. Even though it is difficult to prove that judges have been "soft" on settlers, it is still a fact that the convictions of the Jerusalem and Kfar Sava Magistrate's Courts against Israelis over charges brought against them by Palestinians - are few and far between. Related articles: ANALYSIS / Hebron settler riots were out and out pogroms Hebron settlers accuse IDF of collective punishment IDF declares Hebron area closed military zone after settler rampage Bookmark to del.icio.us   Off with your seat! Likud committee bumps Feiglin down to 36th on party ticket. Trotting for the Globe Israeli animated feature 'Waltz with Bashir' nominated for Golden Globe award.   1.   Stand Your Ground Israel 04:22  |  Builders of Zion 11/12/08   2.   Settler serving as a judge? 05:25  |  Northern 11/12/08   3.   What a surprise! 05:32  |  Silvienne 11/12/08   4.   Look at the list of released PA prisoners 08:07  |  Ilan 11/12/08   5.   About the left, the media and the settlers. 08:17  |  Jean Van Daem 11/12/08   6.   akiva eldar going soft in the brain 10:02  |  yirmi 11/12/08   7.   mere nis 300,000 10:05  |  joe 11/12/08   8.   yiftah elkobi threw stones 10:29  |  yaheskel 11/12/08   9.   legal system going soft 11:28  |  rm 11/12/08   10.   IT WOULD BE DOOMED 12:08  |  indrajaya 11/12/08   11.   Anyone would think it is the settlers who are bombing Sderot! 12:51  |  Tomer 11/12/08   12.   GOOD NEWS! 13:57  |  Petra 11/12/08   13.   Justice ? what a joke ! 14:03  |  Palestinian 11/12/08   14.   Evicting Jews from their homes is not soft 15:04  |  lady from USA 11/12/08   15.   Tomer what does that have to do with anything 17:29  |  Dave Duncan 11/12/08   16.   #15, Dave Duncan, yes, that`s their logic and morality 17:43  |  newageblues 11/12/08   17.   Sad Irony 18:17  |  Outside looking in 11/12/08   18.   #14, How about evicting Palestinians from their land? 22:02  |  Silvienne 11/12/08   19.   # 4 to Ilan re: palestinian prisoners?? (2nd try) 22:06  |  eric 11/12/08   20.   #4, Ilan, did you know..... 23:54  |  Silvienne 11/12/08   21.   Zeev Braude is a victim 02:28  |  dmitri mordechai 12/12/08   22.   # 21 to dmitri re: zeev`s wounds 08:51  |  eric 12/12/08   23.   Its "ocupation" to those whohave already decided 18:14  |  Dina 12/12/08   24.   to eric 19:36  |  dmitri mordechai 12/12/08   25.   Zeev Braude`s wounds 19:55  |  dmitri mordechai 12/12/08

Read & React Iran irate after Sarkozy rules out shaking Ahmadinejad's hand Responses: 88 Livni: It isn't possible to bring every soldier home Responses: 35 ANALYSIS / IDF soldiers must at least believe they won't be abandoned Responses: 25 Yossi Sarid: We're weakening ourselves before future civil war with settlers Responses: 25 Yoel Marcus: Barak better equipped to deal with Iran, Hamas than Netanyahu Responses: 19 More Headlines 23:47 Palestinians: Israel asked to annex 6.8% of West Bank 20:13 IDF soldiers critically wound Palestinian youth with rubber-coated bullet 23:14 IDF chief of staff: Freeing Gilad Shalit is always on the agenda 23:45 Jimmy Carter: I would have been delighted to meet Hezbollah officials 12:41 State to court: Rescind release of settler who shot Hebron Palestinians 16:15 U.S. Army sends American-Israeli woman to Afghanistan 15:42 50 years on, Holocaust survivor defends Rudolph Kastner 00:13 Egyptian guards shoot dead African man trying to cross into Israel 17:16 Ahmadinejad: Israel at end of line, will soon fade away 19:59 Wheelchair-bound woman, 50, dies in Jerusalem apartment blaze 13:28 Amira Hass returns to Gaza after a two-year absence 12:13 Palestinian poll: 40 percent of Gaza residents wish to emigrate 12:18 Suspected Muslim extremist shoots and kills Yemen Jew 10:35 Barak: Likud still far-right, despite Feiglin demotion 20:53 Two Qassams hit Negev, days before Gaza cease-fire set to end 09:18 ANALYSIS / IDF soldiers must at least believe they won't be abandoned 18:18 Holocaust comedy is fine, it's kitsch we should worry about Previous Editions Select Day 12 dec 11 dec 10 dec 09 dec 08 dec 07 dec 05 dec 04 dec 03 dec 02 dec 01 dec 30 nov

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