An indictment filed Thursday against Uriya Cohen, owner of the Zafnat farm in Samaria, reveals what his advocates say are major gaps between police claims and the charges. The indictment accuses Cohen of firing a warning shot during a search for a stolen herd, but drops earlier police allegations that he shot and wounded an Arab assailant. No Arab suspects are charged in the same incident, according to the Cohen camp's account.
An indictment filed Thursday at the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court against Uriya Cohen, owner of the Zafnat farm in Samaria, has sharply narrowed the scope of allegations compared to earlier police statements. According to a detailed account circulating among Cohen's supporters, the indictment charges Cohen only with firing a warning shot in the air during a search for a stolen herd on June 6 near Huwara — dropping any claim that he shot at or wounded an Arab assailant, a narrative police had maintained throughout Cohen's three weeks in detention.
The account alleges that police previously told the court the herd was not stolen and that Cohen called people to riot in Huwara, but the indictment itself acknowledges he was searching for a stolen flock. It also states that Cohen de-escalated a soldier who struck an Arab involved in the confrontation, and that the search was conducted in coordination with the IDF for hours before the friction occurred — details the prosecution omitted, per the farm's camp.
As The Zioneer reported over the past weeks, Cohen was initially arrested and held for nearly three weeks despite a court ordering his release to house arrest — a decision the Samaria District Police appealed. The case has drawn political attention and criticism from right-wing figures including Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan.
The indictment does not include terrorism or racist-motivation charges, contrary to earlier police arrest requests. No Arab suspects have been charged in connection with the same incident, according to the account. The Honenu organization, representing Cohen, has called the case baseless and predicted acquittal at trial.
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