Posted on 06/20/2006 3:37:56 PM PDT by Esther Ruth
GSS Issues Stern Warning to Arutz Sheva's Eran Sternberg 19:32 Jun 20, '06 / 24 Sivan 5766 by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz
Eran Sternberg, director of Arutz Sheva's televised programming, was forcibly detained and questioned by General Security Services (GSS) on Tuesday. They warned him that he "had best be careful."
The GSS (Israel's domestic intelligence agency) claimed that Sternberg engaged in violent incitement against officers of the law. Sternberg, who was the former spokesman for the Gaza Coast Regional Council before the uprooting of the Jewish communities of Gaza, vehemently denies the allegations.
Sternberg, 31 and a father of four, currently lives in Yad Binyamin, between Beit Shemesh and Ashdod, together with his expelled neighbors from the former northern Gush Katif community of Ganei Tal.
This morning (Tuesday) at 6:00 a.m., three state agents arrived at the Sternberg home and forcibly arrested Eran. He was released after 20 minutes of interrogation, at the end of which Sternberg said his interrogators told him that they do not have clear evidence of the alleged incitement. Nonetheless, according to Sternberg, the GSS agents concluded with a warning that he was "walking a bad path" and that he "had best be careful."
Speaking with Arutz Sheva after his release, Sternberg said, "I have not been involved in any sort of violence against the police and I will not be involved in anything related to violence. It is all lies and deception." He also emphasized that whatever he may have said, it is nothing in comparison with public statements made by the Left.
Member of Knesset Aryeh Eldad (National Union-NRP) said the police and GSS were abusing their authority, in order to silence government critics. It is absurd that law enforcement agencies were silencing Jewish dissent while "Arabs who praise the actions of terrorists walk around free," Eldad said.
The Movement for the Whole Land of Israel and representatives of the Nahalal Forum, grassroots movements of secular and labor Zionist activists, reacted with rage at what they called "the false arrest" of Eran Sternberg.
Tzafrir Ronen, a spokesman for the Nahalal group, said: Eran Sternberg is a public figure, a journalist, a television station manager - his words represent a clear, loud voice in favor of democracy. Olmert is the one violating democracy. We all remember how, after he and Ariel Sharon swore to respect the referendum among the Likud voters, he contemptuously trampled it and charged ahead to the cheers of the protective media. Who is the violator of the law and democracy? By what right does the GSS arrest a journalist? Did the GSS take the time to arrest Professor Sternhal, who called for the terrorists to murder settlers? Has the GSS become a completely political organization? Has it lost the understanding of its role? Ronen compared Sternberg to the socialist pioneers of the early Zionist movement who founded kibbutzes such as Ein Harod, Degania, Hanita and Kinneret.
"We, people of the labor settlement movement, the Nahalal Forum, stand behind [Sternberg] and we condemn the attempts to shut voices by the current regime of darkness in Israel," Ronen declared, adding, "Instead of fighting against the enemies of Israel, against the 1,000 rockets that have landed on the towns surrounding Gaza and Sderot, the 'hero' Olmert and 'Generalissimo' Peretz choose to arrest the nation's pioneers. You will not succeed in strangling pioneering and Zionist Israel...."
Published: 16:51 June 20, 2006 Last Update: 19:32 June 20, 2006
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1652329/posts
Shin Bet investigates former settler spokesman (Eran Sternberg)
www.ynetnews.com ^ | (06.20.06, 10:49) | Efrat Weiss
Security service interrogates former Gaza Beach Regional Council spokesman Eran Sternberg on suspicions of involvement in incitement, illegal activity against security forces, minorities. 'Even today I maintain that delaying recruitment could prevent uprooting of settlements' he says
Efrat Weiss
Eran Sternberg, a former spokesman for the Gaza Beach Regional Council, is being investigated by the Shin Bet after he made comments in favor of dodging the draft.
The security service is investigating Sternberg, who was evacuated from the Ganei Tal settlement almost a year ago during last summer’s Gaza disengagement, for alleged incitement.
Officers knocked on Sternberg’s door on Tuesday at 6 a.m. and took him in for interrogation at the Rehovot Police headquarters.
“They took me to a separate room; there was a man in civilian clothing who told me he was from the Shin Bet and that I am being investigated for incitement,” Sternberg told Ynet.
“I said during the interrogation that I have always believed that delaying recruitment to the IDF is the only way to prevent the uprooting (of settlements),” he said.
'I was never involved in any violent activity'
“Just like the mob, those who uproot (settlements) need to recruit ‘orange’ men and women (orange was the official color of the anti-evacuation movement during Gaza pullout)) for manpower purposes and for moral validation.”
Sternberg was released after 20 minutes of interrogation. The security establishment has tried in the past to investigate Sternberg, who currently runs the internet version of channel 7 and also participates in right-wing and youth conventions. He has so far avoided investigation.
A Shit Bet official told Ynet, "Eran Sternberg was detained for interrogation after refusing to appear in inquiries concerning suspicions against him regarding his involvement in inciting for violence and illegal activity against the security forces and minorities."
The former settler leader said in response: "I was never involved in any violent activity, and I have no intention of being involved in violent activity; I will be happy to stand trial. What I do is miniscule in comparison to things that the Left is doing.”
(06.20.06, 10:49)
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
When are they going to investigate Aliza and Dana Olmert?
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