August 28th, 2018
S., the young man who received 6,500 shekels ($1,790) in compensation from the Shin Bet security service after being summoned to a police investigation which turned out to be an attempt to recruit to the Shin Bet, recounts what happened in a conversation with Arutz Sheva.
"I live in Ma'alot and study in a yeshiva in Samaria. A year ago I received a summons for questioning at the Haifa police station. My parents were a little nervous, but I knew I had not done anything, so I was not afraid."
He said that he already understood who he was dealing with in the first couple minutes. "When I arrived at the station, a guy approached me who told me he was not a policeman," he said, "and he told me that because I was studying in Samaria, they needed contacts to help them maintain security."
"I have no criminal record and I live in the north so they thought I was a worthy recruiting target in order to draw information about what was happening in the area. They thought I was stupid."
"I did not answer him, I folded my hands and closed my eyes and began to pray and recite Psalms. He tried to move from side to side and catch my attention, and asked me what Psalm I was reciting, and after half an hour he said to me, 'Listen, you can go if you want.' I got up and he said to me, 'I did not mean that, sit back down.' He kept talking and I was silent. In the end he released me."
S. contacted the Honenu legal organization, which claimed that the Shin Bet is not authorized to compel people to come to interrogations and if it does so, it violates the law and must compensate the injured civilian.
"The whole attempt to turn innocent Jews into terrorists instead of focusing on Arabs who harm the country is a grave act, and I hope they will stop it. Thank God, I was smart and maintained my right to remain silent."
The Shin Bet stated in response that "In order to fulfill its mission to protect the security of the state and by the power vested in it by law, the Shin Bet is required to carry out investigations based on information indicating a suspicion of an offense that has been or will be committed."
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