Hebron boy, 13, jailed for days because father can't afford bail
The military court at Ofer Prison will rule Sunday on extending the remand of the young Palestinian.
By Amira Hass and Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Hebron Israel news Palestinians IDFThe military court at Ofer Prison will rule Sunday on extending the remand of a 13-year-old Hebron boy held for nine days on suspicion of throwing stones at soldiers. At the first remand hearing, on March 2, the boy's father was unable to pay the NIS 2,000 the court required for him to be released on bail.
An Israel Defense Forces soldier detained the boy, identified by his initials A.M., and his 11-year-old brother in Hebron's Old City, on the afternoon of February 27. The boys' father tracked down his younger son and was able to bring him home around 10 P.M. (military law prohibits the detention of minors under the age of 12).
The older brother had been transferred earlier that day to the police station in the nearby Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba, but his father was prevented from seeing him. Later on he was moved again, this time to Ofer Prison, southwest of Ramallah.
The boys' mother told the human rights organization B'Tselem that the younger child was "tired and scared, and his pants were wet because he had urinated in them while being held there for several hours."
Three days later, on March 2, military prosecutor Eran Levy asked Judge Eti Adar to extend the boy's remand in order to file an indictment.
The court records indicate that A.M. admitted to throwing stones. Unlike civil law, Israeli military law allows authorities to interrogate Palestinian minors at unreasonable hours, such as at night, and without a parent present.
Lea Tsemel, the attorney representing the other inmates at Ofer that day, told Haaretz she was stunned to see "a scrawny redheaded child in the suspects' cage." Tsemel gave the boy a balloon (that she happened to buy for her grandchild) in order to remind those present in court of his age.
Lawyers who had been contacted by the boy's family failed to appear at the hearing. Military law stipulates that only after an indictment is filed can minors be brought before an IDF court for juveniles. Therefore, the procedures followed in extending A.M.'s remand are those intended for adults.
The court minutes show that A.M.'s father pleaded with the judge to release his son, stating that he worked for the municipality repairing roads and earned a monthly salary of only NIS 2,400. The prosecution then changed its position, and instead of asking that the boy's remand be extended until the filing of an indictment, suggested he be released on NIS-5,000 bail.
The judge set bail at NIS 2,000, a sum the father said he was unable to pay. A ruling on the boy's remand will be handed down Sunday.
The younger brother was hospitalized Thursday, his father said, after showing signs of psychological trauma. The 11-year-old told B'Tselem that a soldier had called him and his brother over, then one of the soldiers grabbed him by the back of his neck and another grabbed his older brother.
The two brothers were put into a military jeep, he said, and brought to the IDF installation near Beit Romano in the Old City of Hebron.
The boy said he was frightened, and when he asked a soldier to send him home, he was told to "shut up." He said he received the same response when he asked to use the bathroom.
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Here in the UK two ten year olds were convicted of murdering Jamie Bulger, a three year old. Being 10 or 13 years old is not a proof of innocence. If they were throwing stones at soldiers why shouldn't they be detained and questioned? In the end the 13 year old was released by the court without paying the bail.
Molto obrigado Mario, I could not have said it better, it whas a pleasure reading you. prazer....
If I remember well, Rigoletto was a jester, right? Tell us Rigoletto, what would happen to me in Zurich if I start throwing stone to a policeman? Will I be given a free bratwurst and a beer? May be a chocolate truffle?
Dear C.P. Do you teach your children to throw stones at authorities? Would you like to see other people throwing stones at your children? Would you weep for somebody wounded by stones thrown by those little angels? About the pain being felt all around, speak for yourself, here in Brazil we have more than enough people just like you, feeling sorry for minor criminals but not giving a damn for their victims Save your love for those who deserve it, A caring citizen
This child has not been jailed because his father could not afford bail but because he was throwing stones.
It says "on suspicion of throwing stones", which if you read on he admitted to probably out of fear of being summarily shot - which has happened many times already in the area. Most 13year olds would feel pretty intimidated at being surrounded by heavily armed thugs, wouldn't they? How about "innocent until proven guilty?" Don't you have that rule in Israel? How many soldiers have actually been killed by a stone.??
Thank you Amira Hass for you professionalism, your honesty and your work. Thanks to reporters like yourself we do have a glimpse of what's really going on in the "democracy" of Israel. You've always shown the other side of the mirror and I'm grateful anytime I read one of your articles. Regards.
You have my e-mail, pleasen send me where to send the bail for that child. Instead of jailing, why don't they educate the children that is wrong to throw stones. I must start a movement that instead of jailing children, have a camp to educate them where they will treated as humans children and parents would have visiting rights. Take the example of Saudi Arabia that have a camp for ex-terrotist and treated as humans, most will never again support terror. No, I'm not a Pal, but a ex-Mahal for the war of independence, ex-Shomer Atsair whos goal had a program to emulate Swisserland, A Jewish Canton and a Arab canton, all living in peace in one country, What a dreamer I was, and still am. I'll die dreaming..
#3 Frank Sorry this article leaves you feeling nauseous, Frank.It must be gut-wrenching for you to discover the truth about the 'the most moral army in the world'. Thank you Ha'aretz for telling it as it is.
The most ethical soldiers are also Hero?s soldiers as they have achieved victory on terrorism, they managed to get the cat from its tail!!!! I wonder how many times did the local and international TVs brought us with reports and pitures of hebron settlers attacking palestinian civilian homes, and who does not believe that these settlers make use of thier children to do so he should go and watch it in there, so what dose those hero soldiers stationed in there 24/7 do when they see them?
Kids should not throw stones at soldiers. Soldiers however are not dying. The issue here is treatment of child prisoners. And this is shameful. It would not hurt anyone to treat palestinean kids the way you insist on treating settler youth. Kids are kids.
Israel has signed the charta of the rights of children! A real shame and then you wonder about the deteriorating respect for Israel in the world. the country is losing all sense of legality. The extremist minority Haredi dictates and everybody obeys.... When will there be a change from this corrupt administration?
Stones can kill. Lea Tsemel should have given him a good poch on his behind instead of a balloon. If Betzelem can not come up with 2000 shekel bail then they are like the Arab who keep their "refugees" in terrible conditions to blame Israel. The Left should be ashamed of themselves.
you don't have the most ethical army in the world. there's even a question of it having any ethics at all.
Dear A.M. I know that you and your family are suffering, but it will pass. Just focus on the pride you will feel when you return to your community and how well you resisted this brutal oppression. I am sitting in my safe office at the other end of the world weeping like any other father would. Just be strong little boy, your pain is being felt all around the world in ways you don't yet understand. All our love, A caring parent.
Stones thrown or catapaulted by a 13 year old hurt just as much and can kill just like the ones catapaulted by older people. I'm sad that he peed in his pants out of fear but maybe this will teach him to avoid such bevavior in the future.
If you Leftists wish to show a concern for human rights, you must show it for those that you consider less than Human - the proud religious Jew. Showing concern only when it affects your family exposes your hypocrisy.
do jewish children get any jail time when they attack the pals with their parents? or get interrogated without a parent? probably not, but than isrl is a moral nation. with the most moral army. sheesh
I want to pay this childs bail, I believe the rate of exchange is a mere pitence
How many stone-throwing teenage settlers are there in jail?
Is this what the most moral army in the world does? Imprison 10, 11, 13 year-olds? Shame. Sounds like a garden variety occupying army to me -- arrogant, violent, mean-spirited.
This child has not been jailed because his father could not afford bail but because he was throwing stones in an attempt to hurt soldiers. Who sent him to "fight" soldiers instead of going to school as any other child ??
please don't print articles like this. they leave me feeling nauseous all day, and i begin to doubt that we have the most ethical army in the world.
If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.
When are we going to learn that we cannot treat Palestinians or any other people in this way. After reading many other reports of this arrest, it seems this child did not throw stones but was called over by a soldier together with his younger brother and just thrown in the back of an armoured vehicle and taken to a police station, being told on the way, in Arabic that it would be better to tell, anyone, if asked, that he had thrown stones. They were not allowed to use the bathroom, which is normal humiliation in the Jewish State. What has gone so wrong with our people? We train our children to do this to others?