Jerusalem, 23 June, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The State Attorney’s Office has filed an indictment with the Jerusalem District Court against an ultra-orthodox resident of Beit Shemesh – a small town located west of Jerusalem – who set fire to vegetation three times near the Beit Shemesh police station during violent riots that erupted there amid a protest against the arrest of a yeshiva student who was absent from military service.
According to the indictment, following the arrest of a yeshiva student who had skipped military service, calls were distributed to participate in a demonstration near the Beit Shemesh police station. During the night, hundreds of demonstrators gathered there, and the protest deteriorated into a violent riot during which the station gate was broken into, police officers were attacked, objects and stones were thrown, property was damaged, and fires were lit in the vicinity of the station.
As part of the riot, according to the indictment, the man set fire to vegetation near the station fence on three different occasions, at different locations and within short time intervals. In each case, the fire burned for a few seconds and then went out.