Following
the judgment of the High Court of Justice, on March 22, 2017, the Israel Police began punitively sealing the family home of a man from Jabal Mukabber, who perpetrated an attack against Israelis on January 8, 2017, in Jerusalem and was killed during the act. The sealing was carried out in two stages: first the basement floor was sealed, and on the next day the ground floor, where the man had lived with his wife and four young children.
As if collectively punishing the family members, innocent of their relative’s deed, was not enough, the
Jerusalem District Police Commander added insult to injury, and allowed the parents of one of the victims killed in the attack to come and watch the punitive sealing in progress.
This is an unacceptable and distasteful act, which could become a dangerous precedent, whereby punishment by the legal authorities would become a public spectacle, pulling society back to the city square.