A large-scale raid and destruction... Israeli occupation forces arrest the son of Sheikh Najeh Bkeirat in Sur Baher
On Thursday, Israeli occupation forces raided the home of Sheikh Najeh Bkeirat in the village of Sur Baher in Jerusalem, carrying out extensive vandalism and destruction of the house's contents and rooms, before arresting his son, the former prisoner Malek Bkeirat.
Sheikh Najeh Bkeirat explained that approximately 30 members of the Special Forces and Intelligence Service raided the house, prevented anyone from approaching it, and then began a comprehensive destruction of its contents and rooms. He said, "This is not the first time our home has been raided, but this time it was carried out in a strange manner under the pretext of searching. Now, nothing is usable, and the house itself is no longer habitable. There was no justification other than revenge against the people of Jerusalem."
Bkeirat indicated that the occupation forces deliberately placed copies of the Quran and a plaque with the names of God inside the bathroom and toilet of the house. They also smashed shields, tore up certificates, and broke a mural of the Dome of the Rock in one of the rooms. He added that the forces smashed the ceilings of the rooms using hand tools, opened and completely emptied the kitchen cabinets, smashed their contents, removed the internet cables and cameras, and destroyed furniture, including beds, sofas, and closets. They also smashed electrical appliances, vandalized the bathrooms, and removed the glass doors and windows.
The forces also took measurements of two other homes belonging to Sheikh Najeh Bkeirat's family.
During the extensive search operation, they severely beat former prisoner Malek Bkeirat before arresting him. A decision was issued to extend his detention until tomorrow to appear in court.
A series of ongoing assaults
Sheikh Najeh Bkeirat has been subjected to a long series of harassment and humiliating attacks over the past few years, beginning in 1981, when he was twenty-one years old. He was detained for four years. Since then, he has been subjected to a series of arrests, summonses, administrative detentions, and detentions on various charges. His last arrest was during the war on the Gaza Strip at the end of 2023, when his administrative detention lasted for four months.
Bkeirat has also faced dozens of bans from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque since 2003. He has been issued 33 bans for varying periods, the most recent of which occurred just days ago, when he and his son Daoud were banned from entering for a week. At that time, he received verbal notification that they were permanently banned from entering Al-Aqsa. In addition, he was banned from traveling and was previously completely deported from the city of Jerusalem.
Malek Bkeirat... Back in detention
Freed prisoner Malek Bkeirat was arrested on December 31, 2001, while passing through a military checkpoint. He was subjected to harsh interrogation at the Al-Maskobyeh detention center, before being sentenced to 19 years in prison. This happened just months after his marriage, when his wife was pregnant. He was released after completing his sentence in 2020, only to return to detention today.
