After yet another home caught fire in Duma last week, the head of Honenu noted, “Only one of the incidents was investigated and only one investigation involved the use of torture.”
On Sunday March 20th around 3 A.M. another home belonging to the Dawabsha family in Duma caught fire. The police have placed a gag order on the investigation, but even still this incident raises many questions about the other fire where three Dawabsha family members were killed. Shmuel Meidad, the head of Honenu said, “The string of fires in Duma in recent months raises many questions.”
“It is very strange that these repeated fires involve the same location, the same family and seemingly the same method of operation,” said Meidad.
“Most of these incidents have not been investigated thoroughly or even at all. We have already seen that the police often fail to investigate until Honenu files a request. That was the case for Sheikh Halad Mughrabi, who gave inciting lectures on the Temple Mount and was only arrested after a petition by Honenu. So too was the case with Ezra Nawi, and ‘Breaking the Silence.’ The police and prosecution choose to ignore these incidents and it would appear that their decisions are not objective.”
Meidad also recalled, “Only one of the fires in Duma was investigated, however only the route involving Jewish suspects was investigated and the investigation involved the use of brutal torture methods. The results from the investigation and the torture contradict many of the eyewitness reports.”
“Much remains unclear in regards to the Duma story and we hope that the truth will be uncovered both in regards to the fires and also in regards to the investigative agencies’ methods,” said Meidad.
Lawyer Itamar Ben Gvir, responded to the latest fire, “The fire in another Duma home only strengthens our claims that Amiram Ben Uliel did not perpetrate the previous fire. Members of the village have internal fights and this would not be the first time that the two sides used violence against one another. The argument that the home belonged to a witness in Ben Uliel’s trial and that the fire was an attempt to intimidate him is ridiculous. The testimony from this witness contradicts the confession that Ben Uliel gave under torture and only strengthens our case. This witness stated that a car was involved, whereas the Shabak claims Ben Uliel came on foot.”
It is worth recalling that eyewitness testimony of the fire where three Dawabsha family members were killed involved multiple suspects and that many aspects of the case against Ben Uliel remain unclear.
From Hakol Hayehudi, here.