A regime of systematic terror or the fabrication of a stakeholder?

The president of the Israeli Farmers’ Association is suspected of using migrant forced labour. On Sunday Dubi Amitai was questioned for several hours, and denied the allegations against him. A judge sent him to an eight day house arrest away from his home, while the case is investigated. His lawyer claims he is “known for the kindness he shows his workers”, and implies that the charges could be the result of local political struggles.

The Immigration Police’s northern branch forces raided Amtai’s house in Metula in the early morning hours, and took him for questioning. The Immigration Police’s head of investigations and intelligence in the north, deputy inspector Amit Golan, told Ynet that “last week the police received complaints and information, according to which Amitai put his Thai workers in a situation of forced labour”. In addition it is suspected that he threatened them and is withholding their passports. “The workers don’t see their passports for three years”, says deputy inspector Golan.

Amitai is a major general in reserve duty, a well known figure in the upper Galilee and amongst many farmers. Today he holds the position of deputy to the head of Metula’s local council, these days he is running for another term in the council.

Deputy inspector Golan said that it is suspected that Amitai paid his workers less than the minimum wage, between 14 to 15 shekels per hour. He is also suspected of assigning migrant farm workers to his wife’s restaurant.

Information gathered during the inquiry suggest that Amitai illegally forced his workers to work seven days a week, fined those who refused to do so two hundred shekels, and threatened to deport them back to Thailand. Golan said that “the workers were in a state of terror and fear”.

During the police raid the Immigration Police visited the workers living area. Golan said the workers feared they would be arrested, but later calmed down after they were explained that they were only required to testify in the case. 13 passports and various documents were found in Amitai’s car and home during the raid.

“This is a plot. He is known to be kind to his workers” 

At the end of the investigation the suspect was brought before a judge at the Magistrate Court in Haifa, and with the consent of the police was sent to a house arrest in central Israel under full supervision after paying for his own bail. By evening time 14 testimonies had been collected from Thai workers, and the police estimate that there are further testimonies to be collected. Deputy inspector Golan said that the workers living at Amitai’s expressed their desire to leave the place, and were sent to different places all over Israel.

Dubi Amitai was not willing to respond to the allegations against him, but his lawyer- Yehuda Shimoni, told Ynet that “his client and the Thai workers have a good relationship”. According to Shimoni, Amitai has no connection to some of the workers, who work for members of his family. “He is known for his kindness to the workers”, said the lawyer, who denied all the allegations against Amitai. “He is now in central Israel, and in accordance with the court decision can return to work”.

Amitai’s lawyer suggested that the case was a plot that has to do with the elections at the local council, which are to take place in about six weeks, as Amitai is running for a place in the local council. The lawyer added that “given the fact that Amitai is a political figure, we believe that there are people behind this plot against him. We know who they are, and trust the police to do their task faithfully in its search for the truth”.