Yeshiva Student Bites Senior Army Officer

An indictment was filed against the yeshiva student in for assaulting a high-ranking army officer and damaging military property.

Yeshiva student charged with biting senior IDF officer
Nir Hasson and Amos Harel • Ha'aretz

An indictment was filed earlier this month against the yeshiva student in the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar for assaulting a high-ranking army officer and damaging military property.

The indictment filed at Kfar Sava Magistrate's Court said the suspect punctured holes in the tires of a vehicle in which a battalion and brigade commander were sitting, and later bit another officer and threatened a police officer.

The incident in question occurred on November 26. Col. Itzik Bar, commander of the Samaria Brigade, was touring the Nablus sector with a battalion commander whose unit was slated to begin patrolling the area.

The indictment states that when the jeep entered Yitzhar, "the suspect, with his face concealed, suddenly appeared and punctured the left tire of the vehicle with a knife." The allegations against Haikin include disturbing a public servant's work, assaulting a public servant under aggravated circumstances, damaging a vehicle, fleeing from law-enforcement officials and illegal possession of a weapon.

The brigade's operational commander, Maj. Erez Tal and communications officer Idan Hilweh pursued the suspect, eventually catching up to him and bringing him to the ground, at which point the indictment states the suspect bit Tal.

Shortly thereafter, around 15 friends of the suspect arrived at the scene in an attempt to free him, and Haikin fled the scene on a friend's motorbike.

Police prosecutors have asked to have Haikin detained until the end of legal proceedings, citing previous charges against him for allegedly entering Area A of the West Bank, which is off-limits to Israeli citizens.