Sixteen Druze charged with rioting during Premier Shimon Peres’ visit to the Golan Heights last month were released on bail Monday by a Nazareth District Court. But presiding judge Avraham Assa imposed tough conditions.
They may not leave their village without prior approval by police. They cannot leave their homes after dark and they must not engage in public activities. “In a respectable society, citizens should know how to control themselves,” Judge Assa said. But he found the charges against the defendants were insufficient to remand them in custody pending the outcome of legal proceedings. The prosecution had demanded their incarceration.
The rioting was the latest disorder in a conflict between the 12,000 Golan Druze and Israeli authorities since Israel formally annexed the Golan Heights four years ago. The Druze, claiming they are citizens of Syria, refused to accept Israeli identification cards. When the authorities tried to force them to take the cards, the Druze declared a general strike which lasted several months.
The demonstration against Peres was a reminder that they still refuse to accept Israel hegemony over the territory.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
