Yonatan Pollak is banned from Yehudah and Shomron for the next 15 days, as police released the far-left radical activist Tuesday after arresting him two weeks ago. Pollak was arrested after right-wing group Ad Kan filed several complaints about him with police, saying they had footage showing him inciting Arabs to riot and attack Israeli civilians, police, and soldiers in no fewer than 18 incidents.
Pollak is one of the chief organizers of demonstrations against the security fence, in which radical activists – many of them foreigners – harass IDF soldiers, who are forbidden to respond in any way. Harassment entails calling them names – such as “baby killers” – playing loud music in front of them, and making obscene gestures at soldiers. Gilad Ach, head of Ad Kan, said that “for 15 years, the anarchist group led by Pollak against the security fence has led violent riots and attacks against IDF soldiers, and has been ensured freedom of action and speech, despite the many injuries soldiers have suffered in these riots.
Pollak was arrested two weeks ago Monday at the offices of Ha’aretz, which has been accused of aiding him in evading police – a charge the newspaper vehemently denies. Pollak was employed intermittently as a graphic artist at the newspaper, and police have raided its offices several times to arrest Pollak, who was wanted on charges of abetting Arab rioters to violate the public order in Shomron.
