The message below was sent out by his fellow-activists a few days ago:
Mon, 12 April, 2010 20:36:28
Yesterday, Eyal Nir, a long time activist was arrested in the Mate Binyamin police station. He is charged (among other things) with pointing Palestinians throwing stones and Molotov cocktails in Nilin on the position of the Israeli military. The demonstration took place in November, and the testimonies on this by Israeli soldiers were taken at February and March. According to the police the commander in Nilin was surfing the internet when he came upon a video from that demonstration. He contacted the security forces (I assume the Shabak) with the video, the security forces gave him Eyal’s personal information. This commander also found another picture that supposably shows Eyal trying to cut the security fence in Bilin. In his testimony the military commander “forgot” to mention that he ordered one of his soldiers to shoot Eyal with robber bullet after Eyal yelled at him.
In court yesterday, Eyal was represented by a public defender. The police investigator could not answer why the testimonies on the event were collected so much longer, and refused to provide the videos and pictures that supposably show Eyal “directing” stones and M. cocktail throwing (or cutting the fence). The public defender asked the investigator why he feels that Palestinians need Eyal to direct them when it comes to throwing stones and M. cocktails. He replied by saying that this is a special case.
Although the police requested 6 months of baring Eyal from entering the West Bank, the judge decided that he will not be allowed into the area of Bilin and Nillin for the next 45 days (already a close military zone for Israelis and internationals).
This, in MHO, another attempt by the Israeli security forces to target Israeli activists (and Palestinians). I doubt that the Israeli commander went as far to look for videos of Eyal, and I think it was a joint effort of the military and the Shabak. The fact that the charges are brought against Eyal so late, just show of a latter decision being taken on the matter.
M
| 
