The State Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment Monday at the Jerusalem District Court against Yosef Friedman (46) of Beit Shemesh. Friedman is accused of setting fire to vegetation near the Beit Shemesh police station three separate times during a violent protest that erupted earlier this month, which was sparked by the arrest of a yeshiva student who had evaded military conscription.
The indictment against Friedman, filed through attorney Shirael Eldar of the Jerusalem District Attorney's Office, follows a night of violence at the Beit Shemesh police station earlier this month. According to the charge sheet, hundreds of protesters gathered after calls to demonstrate against the arrest of a yeshiva student who had evaded the draft. The protest escalated into a riot, during which the station gate was broken into, officers were attacked, property was damaged, and several fires were lit near the station. Friedman allegedly set vegetation alight in three separate spots along the station fence over a short period; each fire burned for several seconds before going out. He faces three counts of arson and one count of rioting. The case was investigated by the Beit Shemesh police station. This is the latest in a series of indictments tied to violent Haredi protests over military conscription for yeshiva students, which have included the storming of a senior officer's home in Ashkelon and disturbances at the home of a Supreme Court justice.
As The Zioneer previously reported, earlier indictments have been filed against suspects in related incidents, including 17 people charged with rioting at the Ashkelon home of the IDF's Chief Military Police Officer, and three suspects arrested for the Beit Shemesh station break-in. The protest movement has been fueled by anger over the arrest and detention of yeshiva students who refuse military service. The court has been asked to order Friedman held until the end of legal proceedings.
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