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Asher Binyamin W., a 25-year-old resident of Bnei Brak who is facing charges of spying for Iran, claims that he and other inmates have been subjected to abuse by the Israel Prison Service. The allegations were first reported by Army Radio.

According to W., prison guards have thrown stun grenades at inmates even when there was no disturbance taking place. He further alleges that prisoners have been beaten, forcibly restrained, ordered to kneel, and threatened by guards pointing rifles at their heads.

Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled on Sunday that W.’s petition regarding the alleged abuse should be heard by the Tel Aviv District Court.

The allegations come months after W. sought a renewed hearing on his detention, arguing that a major investigative error by the Shin Bet significantly undermined the prosecution’s case against him.

In February, approximately 15 months after his arrest and the filing of national security charges against him, W. petitioned the Tel Aviv District Court for a review of his detention. He is accused of passing information to an Iranian agent.

His defense argued that the Shin Bet made a critical error in analyzing computer data, resulting in a flawed timeline that substantially altered the evidentiary picture and ultimately led prosecutors to amend the indictment.

W.’s attorneys, Elad Ret and Noam Barkovitz of the Public Defender’s Office, contended that the evidence supporting his detention had effectively collapsed. They pointed to an incident in which W. allegedly photographed the home of a nuclear scientist near the Weizmann Institute and transmitted the images to a foreign contact. The original indictment claimed that W. knew the homeowner was a professor of nuclear physics.

According to a report by Ynet, prosecutors based that allegation on computer records indicating that W. had searched the scientist’s name on Google before taking the photographs, suggesting he knew the target’s identity in advance. The defense, however, maintained that W. consistently told investigators he had no idea who lived at the home when he took the pictures and only searched the scientist’s name after returning home. They argued that investigators dismissed his explanation without adequately examining it.

A forensic expert retained by the defense concluded that investigators failed to account for Israel’s time zone when extracting the computer data, creating a three-hour discrepancy between the actual search time and the time listed in the indictment. After correcting the timestamps, the Google search was shown to have taken place at 5:50 p.m.—after the photographs had already been taken.

As a result, Ynet reported that prosecutors amended the indictment, revised the factual allegations, and reduced the most serious charge. Instead of accusing W. of providing information to an enemy with the intent of harming Israel’s security—a crime punishable by life imprisonment—he is now charged with the lesser offense of providing information that could have benefited an enemy.

{Matzav.com}

Tensions between the coalition and United Torah Judaism escalated sharply on Monday after Coalition Chairman MK Ofir Katz reportedly warned the party that if it votes against legislation sponsored by Minister Orit Struck, the coalition will halt progress on the proposed Basic Law protecting Torah study.

According to sources, Katz conveyed the message to UTJ leaders ahead of key Knesset votes scheduled for the day. The warning came amid growing friction over the coalition’s legislative agenda and the ongoing dispute surrounding the draft law.

In an effort to prevent a full-scale coalition clash, Katz met with Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni in hopes of reaching an understanding that would allow coalition legislation to continue advancing.

At the same time, UTJ has threatened to vote against all coalition-backed bills brought to the Knesset, including legislation establishing a commission of inquiry as well as additional bills sponsored by the Religious Zionism party.

The dispute extends beyond Struck’s bill. UTJ is also threatening to delay approval of the transfer of Interior Ministry powers to the Prime Minister’s Office, arguing that the government should appoint a permanent interior minister instead of repeatedly shifting the ministry’s authority.

During UTJ’s faction meeting on Monday, Gafni criticized the government’s approach, declaring, “Instead of transferring powers from the Interior Ministry every week, they can appoint a permanent minister.”

Gedolei Yisroel have issued strong protests against a decision by the Tiveriah municipality to remove separation barriers along the city’s waterfront near the main road leading to the kever of Rav Meir Baal Haness, warning that the changes have created a serious ruchniyus concern for the many mispallelim who visit the site.

At the forefront of the campaign is Rav Moshe Sternbuch, who released a sharply worded letter calling on the tzibbur to avoid traveling or even walking along the affected route. His call has been joined by members of the Eidah HaChareidis beis din in Yerushalayim as well as the rabbonim of Tiveriah, who have likewise urged the public to stay away from the area.

The controversy stems from the municipality’s opening of a new public beach along the waterfront in lower Tiveriah, situated on the primary road connecting the ancient cemetery with the kever of Rav Meir Baal Haness. According to those protesting the move, the beach was opened without appropriate separation barriers or even basic changing facilities.

Critics say the location of the main parking lot, directly across the road from the beach, has resulted in bathers repeatedly crossing the busy roadway, creating what rabbonim describe as a serious breach in kedushah and tznius along one of the principal routes used by visitors traveling to the kever.

Before launching a public campaign, the rabbonim of Tiveriah, led by Rav Avraham Halberstam, son of the Sanzer Rebbe and rov of the Sanzer kehillah in Tiveriah, reportedly sought to resolve the matter through discussions with municipal officials and other relevant authorities.

After those efforts failed to produce a solution, the issue was presented to Rav Sternbuch. Following detailed discussions outlining the extent of the problem, he instructed that a broad public campaign be undertaken without compromise.

In his letter, Rav Sternbuch wrote: “Everyone must take care not to pass along this road, which is a place of impurity and promiscuity, as the city’s rabbis and the rabbinical court have already warned.”

He continued: “There is another route by which one can reach the tomb of Rav Meir Baal Hanes without passing through there. Likewise, Torah institutions and girls’ schools should not rent facilities in this area, since the entire location is presumed to be [spiritually] dangerous. The severity of the prohibition against passing there is very great, and some say it falls under the category of ‘be killed rather than transgress’ by entering a place of impurity.”

Rav Sternbuch concluded his letter with a forceful appeal to those responsible for the situation: “And to those responsible for this, I call to correct this matter, and they should fear for their lives lest the wrath of G-d befall them. Every individual should pour out his heart like water over the pain of the Divine Presence.”

Separately, the members of the Eidah HaChareidis Badatz issued their own public letter supporting the campaign. The rabbonim of Tiveriah also signed a sweeping psak prohibiting use of the roadway, citing the halachic principle that an alternate route is available, eliminating any need to travel through the area.