The parents of Shmuel Schusterman and Yair Lobitsky, targeted by administrative arrest warrants stemming from nationalist incidents in the West Bank, expressed outrage over their sons' detentions during a news conference on Sunday evening. They directly criticized Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's decision, asserting that their sons were unjustly targeted and abused.
Dani and Shiri Schusterman of Ra'anana, parents of Shmuel, set to remain in detention for four months, described what happened to their son: "He was apprehended on Friday and confined in the Shin Bet facilities. He was denied access to legal representation for five days. When he appeared in court, it became clear no evidence existed against him, resulting in his release. Since then, he was placed in administrative detention without trial or evidence."
They said that their son had been accepted to an elite unit of the Israel Defense Forces, something he had been training for. "All he wanted was to serve the people of Israel and the State of Israel," they said, expressing concern over the effect that the detention will have on his psyche in the future.
Yehuda and Yehudit Lobitsky, parents of Yair, said that their son "loves the Land of Israel - that's his crime." Yehuda added that "Yair was arrested without trial, imprisoned without the right to appeal or comprehend the accusations. He was released by the court due to lack of evidence, but for four days he was denied access to legal counsel. Someone deliberately subjected us to abuse. Our son was apprehended due to pressure from the United States."
In a passionate statement, Yehuda Lobitsky declared, "All his sin or desire is to live in Judea and Samaria. He is a victim of the system. Anyone who values democracy must be alarmed and put an end to this absurd ordeal. I urge all coalition members to take a stand. Stop voting with the coalition until this saga is resolved. Two members of ours, Harel Masooud and Nachman Mordoff, were murdered in an attack. I feel like I've entered a third world country, where a person can be abducted after attending a funeral, bypassing the justice system."
Attorney Nati Rom, who is representing the families, strongly criticized the decision. "This is an undemocratic action. Two courts and three respected judges thoroughly examined the case, reviewed the evidence presented by the Shin Bet, and unanimously concluded that there was no evidence against my client.
"We requested the court to postpone the approval of the warrants to allow coalition officials to engage in dialogue with the Ministry of Defense, revoke the warrants, and explore alternative measures. It is unacceptable that my clients are denied the right to communicate with their children or embrace them, a privilege even granted to terrorists," he said.
"No restraining order has ever been issued for property crimes, and similar enforcement was absent for the mother of the terrorist who attacked Eli, nor during the riots in the north. Put an end to this selective enforcement. Someone has confused an enemy with a friend," Rom added.