Israeli Man Faces Prison for Driving Friend to Gaza Protest in Jerusalem

For nine months, I was a political detainee in Israel. My trial is about to begin.

I am as Israeli as they come. My grandparents came to this country — then Palestine, in the 1930s — as Europe began to burn. They helped found a farming village in the Jezreel Valley, Beit Shearim, while most of the family they left behind was murdered in the Holocaust. My late father was a colonel in the Israeli army. I served as a combat soldier in a classified unit, and after Oct. 7, I used my expertise as a data professional to consult for the army during the war. I am married with three young children.

We have no other passports, no other identity than Israeli. But I am now facing charges as an alleged criminal, part of a conspiracy no less — for nothing more than aiding a protest. My story speaks to the lengths of the Israeli government’s efforts to silence dissent.

On Sept. 3, 2025, around the 700th day of the war in Gaza, the families of hostages still held and tortured in Hamas’ tunnels begged Israelis to take to the streets. More than 40 hostages were already dead in captivity, some murdered, some dead from other causes. Like many Israelis, I could not stand by while the government worked to frame this as the families’ private grief rather than a national emergency — anything to delay a reckoning and stay in power a little longer.

I was arrested after a demonstration day in Jerusalem, where a few recycling bins were set on fire — a common occurrence at such protests, before and since. My alleged part is giving a ride to a friend who allegedly lit one of them. Seven of us now face charges that would fit an organized crime indictment. I’m charged with five counts of joint arson, each carrying a sentence of up to 15 years.

I did not know most of my co-defendants. Lawyers call this a legal dragnet, a familiar tool in democracies that are sliding.

For 33 days I was incarcerated in appalling conditions, classified as a danger to the public, moved between three prisons, and even spent one night in a dungeon, for no real reason. After those 33 days, I was released, but remained on house arrest. A probation officer visited my home daily, and I was not allowed to leave without permission.

The charges against me are not about the act itself, but about the intent to disrupt the state. This is not an isolated case. Others have faced similar treatment for peaceful protest. The government claims these actions threaten national security, but the evidence against me is thin.

The case raises serious questions about the balance between security and freedom, and the role of dissent in a democracy. The Israeli government has long been accused of using legal means to suppress opposition, particularly in times of crisis. This case is a stark reminder of the fragility of democratic institutions.

Micah 6:8 calls for justice, mercy, and humility. In a society where these values are under threat, the need for accountability and protection of human dignity becomes ever more urgent.

Source: Read the original report