The Petach Tikvah Magistrate's Court extended the remand on Tuesday of the alleged perpetrator of a recent string of "price-tag" attacks in Judea and Samaria. Alex Ostrovsky, 27, from the Eli settlement, was arrested on Monday on suspicion of involvement in a string of price-tag attacks in Palestinian villages in Judea and Samaria, including vandalizing an Israel Defense Forces base two weeks ago. His remand has been extended by five days. Ostrovsky arrived at court on Tuesday smiling and seemingly unfazed. He was accompanied by friends from the Hilltop Youth, a designation for several nationalist youth settler groups. His friends smiled as the police representative read out Ostrovosky's alleged crimes. "Alex is innocent and the police know it. They only arrested him because he is known to cause a ruckus," one of his friends said on Tuesday. Price-tag attacks refer to acts of vandalism, intimidation and violence carried out against primarily Palestinian targets by extremist settlers in retaliation for the governments removal of outposts, roadblocks and other perceived anti-settler actions. The attack on the army base reportedly came in response to the demolition of three buildings in the illegal Migron outpost a few days earlier. Ostrovsky's attorney, Adi Keidar, from the Honenu organization, which provides legal aid to right-wing activists, said her client denied any connection to the attack on the army base. The attack on the Binyamin-area base marked the first time a price-tag assault was carried out against the IDF. The perpetrators reportedly broke into the base and slashed tires, smashed windows and tore out cables of 13 army vehicles. They also sprayed the words price tag on the walls of the base. Israel Police are accusing Ostrovosky of illegally trespassing on an IDF base and damaging military property. During his interrogation, Ostrovosky first denied the charges against him and presented an alibi for the night in question, and later refused to speak or cooperate with investigators. "Based on the police representative's statement I got the impression there is no evidence against him," Keidar said on Tuesday.
