Four Arrested in ‘Duma Celebration’

Police have arrested four participants in a chasunah where the deadly Duma arson was celebrated with dancing, singing and brandishing of weapons.

The scene was captured on video and shown earlier in the week at the Cabinet meeting by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who, along with other officials, condemned such behavior.

The chassan himself was reportedly among the detainees on Tuesday.

But the chassan has said that he was unaware that such things were going on at his chasunah. “I didn’t even see it. At my wedding I was in the clouds, not on the ground at all.”

He agreed that the video was “shocking,” but said that “there were about 600 people at my wedding, and this wasn’t something I agreed to. There were a million people. I don’t control what happens at my wedding. I’m just the chassan; I didn’t even pay for the photographer or the singer.”

Meanwhile, one of the detainees in the Duma case was released to house arrest on Tuesday.

State prosecutors said that they plan to indict him on charges in an unrelated case, but that he apparently had no connection with the arson in Duma.

His attorney and family accuse the Shin Bet of holding him without legal counsel for 20 of the 29 days he was in custody, and of subjecting him to torture. The Shin Bet denies the allegations. The family is demanding a parliamentary investigation.