Police detectives have arrested a 44-year-old Jewish man, a resident of Samaria, on suspicion of involvement in the murder of an Arab man near the city of Ariel.

The Shabak was involved in the investigation, along with the police Division for Nationalist Crime for the Judea and Samaria District. The knife used to stab the 27-year-old Arab to death was found on Wednesday morning in the vicinity of Ariel.

According to Palestinian Arab accounts, Ali Harb, the dead man, was killed during a violent clash with Jews near ​​the villages of Eskaka and Salfit. However, local Jewish residents claim that they were attacked with stones by Arabs during an inspection tour they were making, preparatory to the establishment of an outpost at the site. One of the Jews who was at the scene has filed a complaint with the police regarding this assault.

The arrested man is married and the father of three children. He served in the navy and has no criminal record. According to Kan News, he is suspected of being an accomplice, not of having actually committed the murder.

MK Simcha Rothman criticized Justice Minister Gideon Sa'ar over the arrest of the Jewish man.

"Tell me, Gideon Sa'ar, have you lost your mind? And do you still want additional powers to be given to such an irresponsible police force, which endangers the lives of Jews? Since when are citizens denied access to a lawyer? Is there evidence that he is a member of a terrorist organization? What is the concern? That he went out to carry out a covert terrorist act? Are you not ashamed?"

Religious Zionist Party chairman MK Bezalel Smotrich, noted that, "Arab rioters repeatedly attack Jews and try to lynch them and the police arrest the victims and do not touch the terrorists. Yesterday, a group of young Jews near Ariel was attacked in an incident that miraculously did not end with Jewish casualties. None of the rioters were arrested - only a Jew who is now being interrogated by the Shin Bet as if he was one of the criminals. This is the law of Sodom."