Court Rejects Couple's Attempt to Overturn Plea Bargain Over Illegal Garage Business
The Ma'ale Adumim local court denied a request by a Har Adar couple to cancel a plea bargain regarding an illegal home-garage business. The judge ruled the agreement was valid and dismissed claims of selective enforcement.
The local court in Ma'ale Adumim has rejected a request by a couple from the settlement of Har Adar to cancel a court ruling and a plea bargain issued in their case. The couple had been indicted for operating a small business without a permit in their private home's garage.
In July 2025, the accused couple signed a plea bargain without legal representation, and the court gave the agreement the force of a ruling. It mandated that the defendants rectify the building violation within a year, with no fine imposed. However, in late June 2026, just a month before the deadline, the defendants filed a request to cancel the ruling, effectively seeking to retract their confession.
The defendants claimed they signed the agreement under undue pressure and argued that enforcement was selective, noting that many residents operate businesses from home garages due to a lack of designated commercial zones in Har Adar. The prosecutor, representing the IDF commander in the region, rejected these claims, stating that most businesses cited by the couple do not operate from garages, and that prior enforcement actions against similar violations have consistently resulted in plea bargains.
Judge Amir Dahan ruled on Friday that the original decision stands. He noted that he has personally witnessed a significant parking shortage in Har Adar, which justifies strict enforcement against illegal garage-based businesses. "The agreement served them faithfully, and now that it has finished its service, they wish to disavow it," the judge determined. The couple's representative stated that they are considering further steps, including an appeal.
