It is unlikely investigators will glean much from their interrogation of extreme right-wing activist Meir Ettinger. He would join Peace Now before answering any questions. Nevertheless, Ettinger's arrest shows that the Israeli justice and defense establishments are getting serious when it comes to Jewish extremists. Beforehand, arrests of such extremists had to be based on concrete evidence. Now, the mere suspicion of illegal activities can lead to arrests. In recent years, Ettinger climbed to the top of the Shin Bet Jewish Division's most-wanted list. As a charismatic advocate of the ideology of his grandfather Meir Kahane, Ettinger has assembled a group of young followers. In announcing Ettinger's arrest, the Shin Bet cited his involvement in organizing Jewish extremist activities. This was a kinder way of saying that Ettinger is suspected of leading a Jewish terrorist cell. This year, the Shin Bet sought to place Ettinger under administrative detention. The State Attorney's Office declined the Shin Bet's request, but Ettinger was banished from Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria. Ettinger moved to Safed, where he was arrested on Monday. Naturally, the question has arisen of whether Ettinger's arrest was connected to the attack in Duma that shook the country last week. In an article published on Thursday in his blog on the Kol Hayehudi website, Ettinger suggested that the Shin Bet "look for other people to play the roles they need filled in their performance for the media." The article provided insights into Ettinger's worldview: adherence to the laws of the Torah and non-recognition of the laws of the state, which he called "null and void"; questioning of rabbinical authority ("They are afraid to speak the word of God in a clear way," he wrote); opposition to "idol worship" in the land of Israel, particularly in churches and monasteries; support for Jewish terrorist suspects ("We can't forget that the arrested are sitting in jail for us," he wrote); and belief that the state's attempt to eliminate Jewish terrorism will not succeed ("It's like someone trying to pull up roots in a garden, which grow back again and again," he wrote). Based on the high likelihood that Ettinger will not speak to interrogators, the Shin Bet will probably seek to have him placed under prolonged administrative detention. In the coming days, a number of Ettinger's associates will likely also be arrested, in an effort to "shake the trees" and obtain two key pieces of information: first, the identities of the perpetrators of the attack in Duma, and second, the details of future Jewish terrorist plots.
