I was very upset after Trump announced he was moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem and felt I needed to do something. On 24 April 2018, I took a sling shot and went to Rachel’s Tomb, at the entrance to Bethlehem, at around 10:00 a.m. I wanted to do something to show my disapproval. 

 

As soon as I arrived at Rachel’s Tomb an Israeli soldier aimed his gun at me and ordered me to stop. Then a group of soldiers overpowered me, pushed me to the ground and handcuffed my hands to the front. The handcuffs were not painful. Then they took me to the military base nearby and left me there for a few hours. 

 

While I was at the military base the soldiers contacted my mother and told her to come and take me home. My mother arrived but instead of sending me home with her they left her waiting for about three hours.

 

After a few hours I was taken to the back of a military jeep where I sat on a seat. My mother was allowed to accompany me. The jeep drove us to Atarot police station, in East Jerusalem. At around 4:00 p.m. I was taken for interrogation and they allowed me mother into the interrogation room with me.

 

The interrogator did not inform me of my rights and wanted to know what I was doing near Rachel’s Tomb. Then he and accused me of throwing stones at soldiers. I denied the accusation but he repeated it again and again and I was provoked. I was stressed and my mother intervened and told the interrogator I had told him I did not throw stones so why was he repeating the question. The interrogator raised his voice at my mother and told her not to intervene. I could not tolerate the pressure any longer and I was trembling. I felt I could no longer control my behavior. 

 

Then he showed me some images on his computer screen and wanted me to confess to throwing stones and to give him names of boys in the images. I told him I did not throw stones and refused to give him any names. Then I found myself pulling my hair in frustration and I had a nervous condition which was out of my control and I started to shiver and shake. 

 

My mother started to scream when she saw me in this state of mind. The interrogator opened the door and threw my mother out. The interrogator left too and I was left in the room alone, I don’t know for how long. I was hungry and tired. Then he came back and showed me documents in Hebrew and asked me to sign them. I signed without understanding what they said.

 

At around 8:00 p.m. I was taken to Ofer prison, near Jerusalem, where I was strip searched. I was then taken to Section 13. 

 

Two days later I was taken to Ofer military court. My mother was in court and the hearing was adjourned. I had about four military court hearings. At the last hearing I was sentenced in a plea bargain to six months in prison and fined NIS 2,000. My mother and my lawyer objected and we presented medical reports from the mental health clinic and the judge reduced the sentence to three months in prison and a NIS 500 fine. I also received a suspended sentence of six months valid for a year.

 

I spent my sentence in Ofer prison where I did a lot of weight lifting. I also attended some classes. My parents only visited me twice because it took a long time for their permit to be issued.

 

I was released on 31 March 2018, and I arrived home with my parents at around noon.