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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Police: 29 out of 39 major fires investigated as arson |
| 2016-12-02 |
| [IsraelTimes] Dozens of locations were found in which arson was attempted but did not develop into a full scale blaze. The Israel Police said on Thursday that of 39 of the most serious fires that broke out last week as part of a wave of fires that ravaged the country, 29 are being treated as arson or suspected arson. The police also said that dozens of locations were found in which arson was attempted but did not develop into a full scale blaze, Israel Radio Israeli reported. According to Yoram Levy, front man of the Fire Services, firefighters battled 1,773 brush fires around the country and the West Bank from November 18 to November 26. However, a woman is only as old as she admits... Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan called the number into question on Wednesday, saying that in many cases "20 people called in about the same event, and this was counted," and that in other cases fires from unrelated car crashes were also included. Erdan said that instead what needs to be focused on are the 39 significant fires referenced by the police on Thursday. According the minister, 40-50 percent were likely the result of arson. But based on the police’s statement, nearly three-quarters of the largest fires are being treated as arson or suspected arson, significantly higher than Erdan’s claim from the previous day. As of Tuesday, police had tossed in the calaboose Drop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages! at least 35 people on suspicion of arson or incitement to arson. The police did not indicate how many were suspected of setting fires and how many of inciting others to do so. First arson indictment for wave of fires handed down [IsraelTimes] Ali Mahajnar, 24, of Umm al-Fahm accused of deliberately starting 3 fires in hometown; says incompetent municipality motivated him. The Haifa Magistrate Court on Thursday indicted an Umm al-Fahm resident for deliberately starting several fires in his hometown last week as hundreds of devastating wildfires swept across the country. According to the indictment, Ali Mahajnar, 24, started three fires near residential areas in the al-Dahar neighborhood of the northern city. Mahajnar’s fires -- started several hundred meters from each other -- burned vegetation and wooded areas before firefighters evacuated residential buildings and put out the blazes. The indictment noted that most local residents were home when Mahajnar started the early morning fires. Mahajnar admitted to the arson to police and expressed remorse for his actions, according to the court document. Despite promises by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other politicians to prosecute those who deliberately started fires as terrorists, state prosecutors only indicted Mahajnar on arson charges. During a Monday court hearing, Mahajnar said local authorities motivated him to start the fires. "I’m the victim of the Umm al-Fahm Municipality that doesn’t treat us like it should," he said according to Channel 2. "[The municipality] don’t clean the streets." His lawyer on Monday said that Mahajnar has no criminal record, and stressed he was not affiliated with any outside organization. "I don’t know how to explain his actions," he told the TV station. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #1 And arson fires in Tennessee, etc. What a coincidence. |
| Posted by: Fat Bob B. Hayes5853 2016-12-02 13:24 |