Hundreds of protesters trailed Likud MK Yuli Edelstein on his way to synagogue on Saturday morning in Herzliya in response to the arrest of three women placing hostage flyers inside the MK’s synagogue.
The women had placed the hostage flyers in an attempt to move the MK to push the government to accept a deal with Hamas for the return of the remaining 101 hostages in Gaza.
According to the police, they were arrested on suspicion of breaking into the synagogue, army radio reported. The police later announced that they have begun investigating the arrest.
The protesters were reportedly angered by the misuse of Israel police, whom they argued made “gratuitous arrests” of legitimate protesters.
The group were recorded yelling "shame" and "abandoning Zion" at the MK, who smiled throughout the encounter, according to Walla.
Edelstein responded to the arrests
In a statement released by MK Edelstein two days after the arrest of the women who placed hostage leaflets, he affirmed his understanding of the synagogue members who reported a "break-in" to the police upon arriving for morning prayers.
Edelstein added, "I fully support the Israel Police and am grateful for their dedication. In addition to their many responsibilities, they have protected me and the synagogue from various disturbances and have ensured that the prayers can proceed."
"We are on a slippery slope, and if we do not establish clear boundaries between protests and riots, we risk ending up in a precarious situation. I urge everyone to remember that we are one nation with one country," he concluded.
The three women were arrested
According to Attorney Ran Tagar, a member of the women’s legal team, the three women were released after six hours of questioning. They are currently serving five days of house arrest.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum responded to the arrest, stating, "We are disheartened that the police are being used as a tool by those who not only fail to act to bring back the 101 hostages, who have been languishing in captivity for 343 days, but also work actively to sabotage any potential deal and silence all discussion on the matter.
"It is praiseworthy for anyone to dedicate their time and effort to support the hostages' families and help bring them home — those who are still alive for rehabilitation, and the murdered for proper burial," the Forum added.