Police Arrest Illegal Resident After Chase in Stolen Vehicle of Tel Aviv District Judge
Police arrested Tarek Jarrar, a Palestinian from Jenin, after a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle belonging to Tel Aviv District Court Judge Alaa Masarwa. Jarrar's remand was extended until September 8, 2026.
The personal vehicle of Tel Aviv District Court Judge Alaa Masarwa was stolen on Sunday morning from northern Tel Aviv. Shortly after the theft, the vehicle was spotted driving north on the Ayalon Highway. Following a police pursuit, officers arrested 46-year-old Tarek Jarrar, a resident of Jenin residing in Israel illegally, on suspicion of grand theft auto.
Highway Pursuit and Arrest
Officers from the Tel Aviv North police station spotted the stolen vehicle and initiated a pursuit. Simultaneously, officers from the Glilot station were dispatched to set up a roadblock on Route 5. When the driver reached the checkpoint, officers ordered him to halt, but he ignored their commands, rammed into another vehicle, and continued fleeing.
Police pursued the suspect until they successfully forced the vehicle to a stop. Bodycam footage shows officers approaching the car, and when the driver refused to comply with orders, officers shattered the driver's side window and pulled him out of the vehicle. It was then established that the driver was Jarrar, a Jenin resident without a valid entry permit.
Suspect's Defense and Court Ruling
During interrogation, the suspect claimed he was unaware the vehicle belonged to a judge or had been stolen. He asserted that another individual had sold him the car and that he believed the transaction was entirely legitimate. Police have charged him with vehicle theft, malicious damage, driving without a license, and driving without insurance.
At the remand hearing in the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court, his defense attorney argued that Jarrar had entered Israel to seek employment due to severe financial hardships faced by his family in Jenin. She reiterated that another individual had handed over the vehicle to him and requested that the court send her client for a psychiatric evaluation.
While the vehicle has been returned to Judge Alaa Masarwa, the police investigation remains ongoing. Judge Ravit Peleg Bar-Dayan extended Jarrar's detention until September 8, 2026, as authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the theft and the subsequent chase.
