Meir Ettinger, Suspected Jewish Terrorist, To Be Released From Administrative Detention
One of Israel’s most notorious alleged Jewish extremists will be released from administrative detention on June 1. Meir Ettinger, who Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence service believed to be a leading organizer of anti-Arab violence among West Bank settlers, had been held without charge for eight months. Ettinger’s arrest in July 2015 came the day after the deadly arson attack in the West Bank village of Douma that killed three members of a single family, including an infant. Two Jewish extremists have been formally charged for that crime.
An August 2015 New York Times report described Ettinger as “the most-wanted figure by the Jewish division of the Shin Bet,” citing Israeli news organizations. According to The Times of Israel report, however, the Shin Bet did not dispute Ettinger’s release, although it will be imposing undisclosed restrictions on him, suggesting that the agency still considers Ettinger a threat to public safety.