The Court Giveth

"Happy holiday and a Happy New Year to you and the entire Israeli nation."
--Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tells Israeli President Shimon Peres.

• Judge orders release of Palestinian after video proves soldiers used unreasonable force - Palestinian man from Hebron held in custody for nearly a month after soldiers in plainclothes dragged and kicked him because they mistakenly thought he cursed them. (Haaretz+)
  
• Israeli court rules contentious Hebron house must be returned to settlers - In victory for settlers, judge rules that 'House of Contention,' which settlers originally broke into in 2007, was purchased legally from Palestinian owners and should be returned to them. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
  
• Jerusalem police brace for protests over anti-Islam movie - Thousands of police and border police are to be deployed from the early hours on Friday morning in sensitive locations around the city, including near the Temple Mount. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
  
• US citizen scores legal victory in Hamas financing case - Man wounded in 2008 shooting wins right to proceed with lawsuit against Arab Bank for providing material support to Hamas • U.S. district judge denies bank's request to dismiss lawsuit. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)
  
• Who kidnapped the journalist from E. Jerusalem? Bashar Kadoumi (36), a journalist with Al-Hourra TV, who was covering the civil war in Syria, stopped making contact with his family in E. Jerusalem a month ago. His brother believes Bashar was kidnapped by people loyal to Assad's regime. (Yedioth Jerusalem supplement, p. 56)
  
• Taking down the checkpoints - Every day Yuval Rott, Tzurit Sagiv and Amir Benatura stand at IDF checkpoints waiting to escort sick Palestinian children to Israeli hospitals and back to the checkpoints. After participating in the Bereaved Families Forum, Rott set up a non-profit, 'The Path to Recovery' (הדרך להחלמה) for helping sick children get to hospitals. (Yedioth Jerusalem supplement, p. 108)

For the full News From Israel.