New details have emerged regarding last week’s violent disturbances outside the home of Deputy Supreme Court President Justice Noam Sohlberg, with a report indicating that police intelligence had received advance warning that a protest was being planned but failed to identify the precise location in time to prevent the incident.

According to a report by Ynet, police intelligence officials received credible information as early as Wednesday afternoon indicating that activists were organizing a demonstration. However, authorities were reportedly unable to determine where the gathering would take place.

The apparent intelligence failure prevented police from deploying sufficient forces before the situation escalated into a major disturbance. Responding to questions about the issue, a police source said only that “the matter is being examined.”

As previously reported, dozens of protesters arrived outside Justice Sohlberg’s residence, where they allegedly smashed windows, destroyed flower pots, and caused significant damage to both the property and the judge’s vehicle.

The incident unfolded while Justice Sohlberg, his wife, children, and grandchildren were inside the home and witnessed the destruction firsthand.

According to the report, 62 suspects were arrested following the unrest. The detainees reportedly spent much of the night aboard the bus in which they were apprehended after allegedly attempting to leave the area following the disturbance.

Large police forces intercepted the bus shortly after the vandalism and mass arrests followed.

The suspects were scheduled to appear before the Yerushalayim Magistrate’s Court, where police planned to seek extensions of their detention. Investigators are reportedly requesting lengthy remand periods for some of the suspects due to the seriousness of the allegations.

The incident sparked widespread condemnation across Israel’s political spectrum.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu said he “strongly condemns the violent riot against Justice Noam Sohlberg” and stressed that “law enforcement authorities must pursue the rioters to the fullest extent of the law.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir also denounced the violence, saying, “The freedom to protest is a fundamental right, but it does not include the freedom of anarchy. I strongly condemn the small group of extremists who threw stones, engaged in violence, and disrupted public order outside Justice Sohlberg’s home.”

He added, “This is not the way of the Torah, and it is not the way of a democratic state.”

The leaders of Israel’s chareidi parties—Aryeh Deri, Moshe Gafni, and Yitzchak Goldknopf—issued a joint statement shortly after midnight condemning the violence while also criticizing what they described as the judiciary’s ongoing treatment of Torah students.

“We are pained and shocked by the ongoing persecution and trampling of Torah learners by the judges of the Supreme Court,” the statement said. “We warned time and again that these measures would lead to radicalization and anarchy, and unfortunately we are now seeing those fears materialize.”

At the same time, the party leaders emphasized, “We strongly condemn any act of violence, of any kind. Violence is contrary to the way of the Torah and utterly unacceptable.”

The statement also called on right-wing political leaders to denounce what they described as continued persecution of yeshiva students.

“We demand that the leaders of the right-wing parties, who rightly rushed to condemn this incident, also condemn the ongoing and cruel persecution of Torah learners and yeshiva students. The blood of Torah learners is not hefker,” they wrote.

Supreme Court President Justice Yitzchak Amit and Court Administrator Judge Tzachi Ouziel issued an unusually forceful statement to judges and court employees across the country, describing the incident as a direct assault on the judicial system.

“This is the crossing of a red line, behavior that goes far beyond the boundaries of legitimate protest and constitutes an attempt to undermine the sense of security of judicial officeholders and their families,” the statement read.

Amit added, “Attempts at intimidation will not deter us. Israel’s judges will continue to rule without fear.”

The unrest followed a controversial court ruling issued earlier in the week that overturned restrictions on Red Cross visits, a decision that sparked intense anger among segments of the chareidi public and helped fuel the protests that later erupted outside Justice Sohlberg’s home.

{Matzav.com}