The State Attorney’s Office on Monday filed an indictment in the Jerusalem District Court against a 46-year-old resident of Beit Shemesh, accusing him of setting fire to vegetation near the city’s police station on three separate occasions during a violent disturbance that broke out in protest of the arrest of a ben yeshiva.

Prosecutors have asked the court to keep the suspect in custody until the conclusion of the legal proceedings against him.

According to the indictment, calls were circulated to participate in a demonstration near the Beit Shemesh police station following the arrest of the yeshiva student.

During the night of May 31–June 1, hundreds of protesters gathered at the site, and the demonstration escalated into a violent riot. According to the indictment, the station’s gate was breached, police officers were attacked, objects and stones were thrown, property was damaged, and fires were set in the area surrounding the station.

As part of the unrest, the suspect allegedly set fire to vegetation near the station’s fence three times, at different locations and within short intervals of one another. In each instance, the fire burned for several seconds before extinguishing itself.

The investigation was conducted by the Beit Shemesh Police Station of the Jerusalem District Police.

The indictment charged the suspect with three counts of arson and one count of rioting.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)