Meir Is Free! But.

24 Iyyar 5776

Meir Ettinger left prison this morning after having been held in isolation just short of 10 months after he went in on 3 August 2015.

Meir Ettinger

 From HaKol haYehudi a few days ago:

According to an order signed by Central Commander Roni Noma, Ettinger will not be allowed in Judea and Samaria for the next year. Another order signed by Homefront General Yoel Strik banned Ettinger from Jerusalem and Yad Binyamin for six months.

Likewise, Ettinger was ordered to remain under nighttime house arrest for the next four months and is banned from communicating with 92 of his friends.

Supporters of Ettinger are planning an event in the coming days to show solidarity with Ettinger and celebrate his release.

In another order against a Jewish youth recently released from prison, the youth was banned from speaking with 87 of his friends. The order against Ettinger has now eclipsed even that one.

The administrative detention of Ettinger these past 12 [sic] months was issued without evidence and without trial. The Shabak and prisons service also refused to release Ettinger for the Bris of his first son and instead he remained in prison during the event.

  The orders still stand. What is this with incarcerating and torturing Jews with no charges against them here in Israel? It's bad enough when Jews commit crimes and get sentences above and beyond anyone else's. But Meir and the other Jewish detainees who are still in prison have committed no crimes; they are administratively detained (which by definition means no crime has been committed. In the case of other people (usually Arabs) it means they are a "ticking time bomb" getting ready to go off, whereas for the Jews this is not, and has not been, the situation.).

I have not been able to find a Web site with a list of Jews unjustly imprisoned. Meanwhile, any support for freeing all the Jewish detainees is greatly appreciated. Pidyon sh'vuyim starts with them.

On the freeing of Meir Ettinger…

14 Iyyar 5776
Pesach Sheni
29th Day of the Omer

Before Shabbat I was in touch with someone who has more details about the upcoming release of Meir Ettinger from administrative detention and the people who campaigned for it; this person permitted me to quote without naming; thus, the following interview. 

It is difficult for former Americans and others who have experienced similar government structures to understand how Israel operates; it is a democracy, but certain things don’t work in the same way and thus certain actions taken will not have their intended effects. For instance, protesting and otherwise asserting the people’s will; petitions don’t work here but other things do, as we will see. (That’s why I will not put up notices for petitions here for Israeli prisoners anymore. They do not work.) I learned a lot through this conversation and wish to share.

It is my hope and prayer that this post and similar ones that I have written in the past will join with the writings of others to help with Pidyon Sh’vuyim פדיון שבויים, a very important mitzvah, the freeing of prisoners. Consider all the Prisoners of Zion throughout history: These are Jews who are either 1) in jail for sentences far longer than fitting for their crimes because they are Jews (cf. Jonathan Pollard); or 2) just because they’re Jews (like Meir) — any excuse will do. Nowadays, defending oneself against the enemy is a frequently-employed reason to ban a person from his hometown or put him in jail; in Meir’s instance, it was his writings and even, apparently, manufactured writings attributed to him.

 

Center: Netzach Binyamin Ettinger. Credit: original video by Kol haYehudi/still derived by Yeshiva World News

CDG: Is there any thought about suing the government to pay the legal bills and for the campaign? After all, our taxpayer shekels went into the injustice, against our will. I for one would rather have the government use what they already have to pay for the injustice they caused, not only to Meir, but to all the other detainees as well.

Source: They can't sue.  Administrative Detention is legal in Israel.

CDG: I apologize for my ignorance. I have never lived under laws like this before. I'm confused, so thank you for patiently explaining all this to me. 

So, if I understand you correctly, because there are no charges against Meir, can there also be no financial compensation for his imprisonment? What about the loss to his reputation (among some sectors; in ours it has been enhanced, surely), his health, the fact that he couldn't see his son born or brissed [circumcised -CDG]? How about how this affects his wife? And all for NOTHING Meir did wrong.

I want Mashiach now, this minute.

Source: They can't sue.  Right now there are 300 Arabs under Administrative Detention.  I am glad for that because it keeps them off the streets, so less terrorists walking around.  The first Jew they used Administrative Detention on was Rabbi Kahane.  He knew it was an ongoing thing so he fasted until he started to lose his eye sight and then they allowed him out.  He had rabbis trying to convince the Rabbi to eat even a piece of bread the size of an olive.  He refused.  His name and organization was too big to allow him to die and they let him go.  Meir Ettinger fasted and start to faint on and off.  They didn't even take him to the hospital, but treated him in jail.  If they want you to confess to something or think you know something or feel you are a danger, or whatever the h*ll they feel they can put you under this administrative detention in jail or even in your home.  They did that to Noam Federman and he couldn't go out even on his porch, not step outside his door.  They watched and if he was caught, he would be back in jail.  No charges:  Old British Law.  They don't have to tell you or your lawyer why they are holding you.  I have lived here since 1978 and have seen much. 

CDG: Well, I hope I did something right, then, when I posted the link to the fundraising site on the notice in the upper right corner. I hope that some people respond to it. This is why I was asking.

Source: We need the flow of money to keep this going with publicity.   Petitions are ok, but government really doesn't care about that.  In America every town has representation, and your representative would care what you wrote or the petition you sent.  She wants to be elected again.  We don't have that in Israel.  You vote for a party and that is it.  Of course, they want to get elected again and try to do what people want, but some change when they become MKs and some are reined in by the Prime Minister if they are in the coalition.   It’s a different system.  Democratic, but much different than America. 

Shabbat Shalom.

***

DIRECTIONS: To donate to free the rest of the Jewish detainees still in jail since last summer and fall (many are minors, and none of them have conspired to assassinate people, burn houses down or any of those things; many of them are the ones I am asking about along my sidebar), CLICK HERE. If you are donating from outside of Israel, open the "To Donate..." box and fill out the fields, skipping the ID# field, and press Click to Donate. Thank you!

For more recent miraculous events, read this!

More Are With Us Than With Them: The Jewish Idea Continues

9 Nisan 5776

This is a reposting of Meir Ettinger's first blog post from 3 February 2015 on Kol haYehudi, translated to English. Devash's challenge continues.

Hat tips to: Tomer Devorah | The Voice of the Jewish Heart Will Not be Silent

It Looks like There Are Not So Many of Us
but in Truth, More are With Us than with them

After receiving administrative orders, I, Meir Ettinger am opening a blog on Kol HaYehudi.

Two weeks ago, I received administrative orders to stay away from Yehuda and Shomron, plus a few other boundaries that I am forbidden to cross. I was placed in an interrogation room, into which entered a man who called himself Shoham. He brought with him the document detailing my restrictions. Shoham began to talk to me in a tone meant to frighten me. The truth is that I didn’t manage to bring full attention to what he was saying because I was a little bit busy with thoughts of where I would go in order to continue to progress with my work. Also I was thinking about how I could be effective once I am outside of Yehuda and Shomron. But, mainly I remember that Shoham was pressing me about my writings that were published on Kol HaYehudi. It seemed like Shoham, or whatever name they are calling him, does not like Kol HaYehudi. It was in this moment that I accepted upon myself to open a permanent blog on Kol HaYehudi.

Among the many directives that were in the administrative orders, such as not to go to Yehuda and Shomron, as well as other restrictions on where I can go, was the requirement that I visit the police station every week, to sign that I am still alive. This is the reason I thought, that to make their work easier, I would try to publish something here once a week so in case there are some problems with the computer, and Shoham will not get the update that I am still alive, he can see my blog post here and continue sleeping b’shalva, without worrying about my peace and personal security.

HaShem told him to curse
There has been a debate for years as to how to deal with administrative orders. In the last years, we have seen this phenomenon of administrative orders becoming a daily thing. It looks like the government is becoming more and more afraid of the people.

We can learn much from the deeds of Dovid HaMelech, detailed in the story of his escape from Abshalom. In the middle of the escape and while on the road, Dovid HaMelech met Shimi ben Gera, who cursed him with many curses. Avishai ben Tsruya wanted to kill Shimi but Dovid HaMelech told him no, saying HaShem had placed the curses in his mouth.

The Jews from the pitiful anti-Jewish department in Shabak, who are signing these administrative orders, all of those who took on the names Aidan, Itama, Shoham, Avichai, Dan or whatever name they are using, all of them are poor of nefesh and are like children growing up among wolves. We have to remember that from their side they are absolutely certain that they are helping Am Israel and they really think that we are threatening the broken reed upon which they are sitting. Of course, none of them is clean from cruelty and evil. And each one will be brought to judgment by HaShem. But, for now the majority of the government is sure about the correctness of its way.

The possibilities we have in our hands to fight against these orders are limited and we are “speechless” like the “sheep before the shearer.” Right now it is very hard to imagine that we can succeed in explaining to and convincing people so far away from HaShem and from His Torah. And even for those among them who are keeping the mitzvot, they are so deeply corrupted by the governmental structure that it is hard to open their eyes to their mistake. B’ezrat HaShem in time our efforts will work and the realities will change. We will also reach them and they will, in the end, be at the head of the camp.

The tzibbur in general is nearing fatigue from this struggle and for those who are ready to carry on, it is a shame that he should be taken off his main task in life. Instead of fighting the orders, it is more worthwhile to be focused on our main task which is teshuva—personal and for Am Israel. Because of this, in relationship to the orders and to those who are giving them, we must focus on the pasuk, “HaShem said to him curse.” We shall continue in our work wherever we are or wherever they put us—to call in the name of HaShem and disseminate Jewish ideas. When we will be successful in our deeds the orders and restrictions will be canceled as a consequence.

More are with us than them
The King of Aram issued an arrest order for Elisha HaNavi. In the morning the servant of the Tzaddik awakened and saw that the entire city was surrounded by heavily armed soldiers. With worry he asked Elisha HaNavi, “You my Lord, what will we do?” Elisha answered him simply, “don’t be afraid because more are with us than with them.” Elisha prayed and said, “HaShem, open please his eyes to see,” and HaShem opened the eyes of the boy and behold there was a mountain full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha.”

For most of us our eyes are a little bit tired and we feel lonely in the battle against the crushing powers of MOSAD. We have to pray intensely that HaShem will show us all the Jews who are with us—more than with them.

The privileged ones already see and know of the miracles that HaShem is doing and will do each and every day. They see how He is escorting His trusted soldiers. Those who are not yet privileged to see can for certain ask others in Anshei Yehudi, because they know all the miracles better than anyone else.

We, b’ezrat HaShem, have been privileged since we received the last orders to see how many Jews are with us, how great is the warmth and love with which we are surrounded, how many gifts we have received, and telephone calls all of which makes us stronger. We see the simple love of our close and far-away friends. We see how many good Jews want to help!

More are with us than with them.

 ***


 Amen! More reading:


How the Hilltop Youth Are Presented as the Worst Enemy of Israel | G-d Bless Meir Ettinger... | Israel to Deploy Extra Troops around Temple Mount ahead of Pesach | Jewish minor under Shaba"k interrogation rushed to hospital | R' Meir Kahane: The Great Sabbath (1989) | 

Free the Jewish Political Prisoners Now!

23 Shevat 5776

UPDATE: Evyatar is out of prison! Now for Meir! See below...

Thanks to some concerned American Israelis…we can be part of a critical pidyon shevuyim (redeeming of prisoners) campaign.

HELP FREE TWO PRISONERS IN ADMINISTRATIVE DETENTION 

Meir Ettinger and Evyatar Slonim have been held imprisoned for six months, held for much of the time in solitary confinement, surrounded by Arab terrorists who threaten to kill them. Meir recently was hospitalized after collapsing during a hunger strike.  

The Israeli government has not charged Meir or Evyatar with any crime. 

The six months of administrative detention are up next week. Evyatar's order ends on Wednesday, and Meir's on Thursday. [February 3^rd and 4^th – CDG]

There is great fear and concern that Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon renew their imprisonment for another six months without charging them with any crime. 

Evyatar's mother, Gila Slonim, and Meir's grandmother, Libby Kahane, are sending a plea to every Jewish person to daven for the yeshua of the two boys. 

Names for davening:   MEIR DAVID CHAI ben TOVA and EVYATAR YISRAEL ELIYAHU ben GILA CHANA. 

[but see the end for upcoming good news about Evyatar - I am reserving further comment until he is confirmed out of prison. CDG]

Please take a few moments to write an email to Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, and President Reuven Rivlin asking them to either charge Meir and Evyatar with a crime and give them a fair trial, or let them free. 

Here are their email addresses: 

Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon  pniot@mod.gov.il

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu

 pm_eng@pmo.gov.il   and  bnetanyahu@knesset.gov.il, 

President Reuven Rivlin  public@president.gov.il

Israeli consulate in New York: 

Tel. 212-499-500; Email: info@newyork.mfa.gov.il   

***

DS from Israel Truth Times and I wrote to the above government officials. I have posted our emails below (hers with her permission) in order to stimulate and encourage more email. You may copy elements of our emails to help you if you wish, or use your own words.

The sooner you write, the better the chances are that both young men – WHO WERE CHARGED WITH ABSOLUTELY NO CRIME – will be freed.

Here is the article Meir posted on HaKol haYehudi before he was detained. Read it and tell me, should he be in jail for it? The Delicate Bridges

***EMAILS***

Subject: Release Meir Ettinger and Evyatar Slonim NOW (With appropriate medical treatment, of course.).

Dear Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. President and Mr. Minister of Defense:

May I briefly suggest that if you want to show that you are treating Jews and Arabs alike, you would not summarily allow Meir Ettinger and Evyatar Slonim to die on hunger strike. Through the media we have seen the government express concern about terror-enacting Arab prisoners on hunger strikes; you can at least show the same caring for the Jews!

Not to mention that these young Jewish men have not actually committed any crimes to speak of. Writing, even expressing views displeasing to the government, is not a crime in a democratic society, such as ours purports to be. And you wonder why many Israelis want Torah governance, which is more appropriate to our people.

One more thing: Please be kind enough to restore them to health — especially Meir, since he has been going longer without food — before releasing them to their loved ones. May HaShem bless you for the efforts you make in this direction.

Many thanks.

(signature)

***

Subject: Re: your atrocious treatment of Meir Ettinger and Evyatar Slonim

Mr Yaalon, Mr Netanyahu,  Mr Reuben Rivlin, 

It is inconceivable and beyond any civilized norms in a democratic country that people who have not been charged with any crime should be kept prisoners under administrative detention. I request of you that Meir Ettinger and Evyatar Slonim  be freed immediately, and let them have a fair trial if necessary: everybody is INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY!. Your actions are racist and done out of hatred of religious Jews, and of course also to please the nations, who hate the Jewish People anyway.

Stop trying to please the nations, our enemies who spy on us shamelessly, while you oppress our own people. 

Do you want to be known as a dark regime? Or do you want to earn the respect that a Jewish nation deserves?

Know that there is a Judge and there will be Judgment for you too, as important as you believe yourselves to be today. Remember, man is only dust, comes from dust and returns to dust. That includes you too. 

Tsedek, Tsedek Tirdof!

(signature)

UPDATES: Here is a link to yet another letter, this one from Daniel Pinner.
An op-ed by Brooklyn-based Yehuda-and-Shomron activist Robin Ticker: Stop Slandering Hilltop Youth and Let Meir Ettinger Go

***

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?

PROTEST: You can go here to sign a petition that will go to Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon. You can look for others as well.

EDUCATE YOURSELF: Read all you can about the Hilltop Youth and lifestyle. There’s plenty of negative commentary elsewhere; here are two positive articles so far: Kumi Ori | The Baladim | More are coming. If you can, visit them. See for yourself. Be sure to wear your hiking clothes and boots!

TAKE HEART. For those who are discouraged from aliyah over this situation, I bring words straight from the heart of Dina Moskowitz from a comment she shared:

“…my dear friend…your conclusion is totally erroneous! You NEED to make aliya as soon as possible... The antisemitism in the USA and the rest of the world won't stand still, it will only get worse and lead to physical violence against Jews, G-d forbid.... Before it gets to that bad of a stage, please, [fellow American Jew], COME HOME and help us here make the country BETTER for Jews! You need Israel - and ISRAEL NEEDS YOU! Help us put real JEWISH leaders into power who care about the Jewish People and rule this country according to the Torah! And bring your like-minded family and friends here, too - the more of us here in Eretz, the more hope there is for this country's survival as a TRUE Jewish State!"

***

UPDATE:  EVYATAR WILL LEAVE PRISON, BUT MEIR GETS ANOTHER FOUR MONTHS WITHOUT CHARGES OR TRIAL. 

The Defense Ministry and Israeli Security Agency (ISA) announced Monday that nationalist activist Evyatar Slonim's administrative detention will not be extended, and he will be released in the coming days, although administrative limitations will remain in place against him...

On Monday Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon (Likud) extended [Meir] Ettinger's administrative detention by yet another four months, without trial or evidence, in what Ettinger's wife Moriya told Arutz Sheva was a "political arrest" in the most severe prison branch in the country. Arutz 7

UPDATE 3/2/2016: Evyatar is out of prison! This article, in Hebrew, is from 3 February, from HaKol haYehudi (The Voice of the Jew). Nothing in English. I do find the early date odd considering what we were told above, but if the man is out of prison, all the better.

Notice I don't say "free" because there are still "conditions" as noted above. One noted in the recent article: they have forbidden him from being in touch with 42 of his friends in any way. No charges are listed against them, either... A personal note - I still rely too much on the English news; I only saw this article today, 10 February. - CDG
 

Forced Self-Incrimination: Just Plain Wrong

8 Shevat 5776

Credit here.

דברים י"ז, ט"ו		Deuteronomy 19:15
טו  לֹא-יָקוּם עֵד אֶחָד בְּאִישׁ, לְכָל-עָו‍ֹן וּלְכָל-חַטָּאת, בְּכָל-חֵטְא, אֲשֶׁר יֶחֱטָא:  עַל-פִּי שְׁנֵי עֵדִים, אוֹ עַל-פִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה-עֵדִים--יָקוּם דָּבָר.		15 One witness shall not rise up against any person for any iniquity or for any sin, regarding any sin that he will sin. By the mouth of two witnesses, or by the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be confirmed.
מקור: מכון ממרי		Source: Chabad
ואין אדם משים עצמו רשע...		And a person may not incriminate himself…
מקור: סנהדרין ט, ב, תלמוד בבלי		Source: Sanhedrin 9b, Babylonian Talmud

 ***

The whole world (or maybe just the United Nations) is still in an uproar over the burning of a house in the Arab village of Duma in Israel about six months ago. “Beginning the morning after the murders, as the investigation was just beginning, Israeli officials and media began claiming that the perpetrators were “Jewish terrorists.”” (Abu Yehuda summarizes the background well here.) “The firebombing was quickly attributed to the movement Israelis call “price tag,” in which extremist Jews attack Palestinian holy places or property in retribution for their own government’s actions regarding settlements,” said the New York Times shortly afterwards, on 1 August 2015. Here is more background on the story from a Jew who participated in a condolence call on the community (Arutz 7).

I deliberately linked to early accounts, so that we can recall how it was then, before young Jews — both men and underage boys — were formally accused, taken into custody and, by some accounts, treated worse than Arabs in their place would be. None of this would have happened if self-incrimination and forced confessions were not allowed air time or print space in any medium in Israel — never mind in a court of law.

The Jewish Division of the Shaba"k (Israeli Security Agency) claimed that there was a need to take young, even underage Jews into administrative detention due to a “ticking time bomb” situation (possibly to be discussed in a separate post – to read the full article, I suggest the search phrase “jewish ticking time bomb” if you don’t subscribe to HaAretz. Here’s another article where the ISA admits to treating “Jewish extremists” as ticking time bombs.).

Everyone knows that the American Constitution has what is famously known as the Fifth Amendment:

"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

How many have internalized what the Torah and Talmud say on the matter? It is not a matter of amendment — or a tacking on, if you will — to the law for these works of Jewish law, but part of its central body: It starts with the 9^th commandment, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” and goes on to say, “At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses…” The repetition of the Hebrew word edim there is deliberate; there is no unnecessary word in the Torah. Could witnesses be so important that the Torah appears not to even consider not having them in a case where the accused’s life or future is at stake?

Here's a potential hiddush: Could one say, in easy legalese, that the Torah and Talmud together imply that a person of whom a confession is demanded or required is automatically considered to be in a conflict of interest and is therefore automatically recused?

The Talmud puts it more concisely and understandably for modern readers, with the exception of the phrase mesim atzmo, which I have translated as “impute on oneself” due to its (as I perceive it) mixed verb-direct reflexive object relationship¹.

A lot of people, especially women, long ago stopped considering Torah law and governance a viable alternative to what we have now because of issues such as the plight of the agunah. I hope that now, considering the environment we live in, where the entry of Muslim men en masse all over the world is creating far worse conditions for a much greater number of women (who were accustomed to going out freely to attend to their errands, visit friends and so on virtually without concern, but now must go out, if at all, in groups, always with an eye out for trouble and, if this occurs, no help from authorities), we in Israel can look at other problems where Torah clearly shines for everyone, such as the abolishing of self-incrimination and the requiring of witnesses to acts that could land a person in jail for life or dead, whether male or female. (In fact, since there seems to be no support at all from the feminists on issues where rape and other misogynistic acts by Muslims are concerned, they have rendered themselves and their philosophy irrelevant – this news story took 20 years to break.)

There is a lot more to be discussed, which is why I have collected many Torah sites on this blog and plan to add more as I find them. In the meantime, though, it seems that making Arabs and Jews "equal" is having the effect of making Arabs "more equal" than Jews. It might be time for the pendulum to swing strongly towards advocating, and achieving, Torah governance in Israel. Until then, if the Israeli government has any sense of true democratic justice — let alone Torah justice — the case against Amiram ben Uliel should be thrown out due to his inadmissible confession.

***

¹ the phrase masim atzmo (משים עצמו) in my eyes combines a hif’il (causative) verb form with a reflexive object (refers to oneself; nay, means “oneself”). Impute means to attribute or ascribe, as to a person, or in its obsolete meaning, to charge (a person) with fault. If you still have questions about this, please, feel free to go to the native Hebrew/English speaker-scholar of Talmudic Hebrew, of your choice. 

I have already taken my advice and asked Reb Yehudah B. Ilan of Forthodoxy about my explanation. If and when I should receive a reply, be"H I will post it here as an update.

UPDATE: Reb Yehudah replies:

Your translation is okay, but I think that you may be over-thinking this a bit and analyzing a passage from the Gemara using the intricacies of Hebrew grammar is not usually the correct method of study. The reasons for this are that (a) the language of the Gemara is a mixture of Mishnaic Hebrew and Babylonian Jewish Aramaic – which do not follow the grammatical rules of either Biblical or Modern Hebrew, (b) most of the Talmudic text is written in scholarly turns of phrase which are not meant to be taken literally but rather have a particular legal meaning and/or a dialectal significance. This being the case, translating the Gemara is almost never a word-for-word exercise. If someone cannot interpret the text on their own, I suggest employing a standard translation of the Talmud, such as the edition published by Koren or one of the many Steinsaltz editions (I do NOT promote the use of Artscroll).

Without knowing the intent or essential message of your post, I can only explain this particular phrase as it appears in the context of b.Sanhedrin 9b.

As for the meaning of the words “mesiym `assmo rasha` – משים עצמו רשע” it can be translated here as “…place himself [in the category of] a wicked one (i.e. incriminate himself through his own testimony in court).” The phrase “mesiym `assmo” is made up of two words: [1] השים which has the simple meaning of “to place” or “to put” and [2] עצם which in Biblical Hebrew means “bone” and came to be used to signify “self.” This phrase only means “incriminate himself” in context of the discussion here in the Gemara.

On Rava’s statement, Rashi comments: “Rava says: A person cannot become invalid to testify by way of admitting his own guilt, for a person is considered to have the status of a ‘close relative’ in relation to himself. Therefore ‘a person is not able to implicate himself (lit. ‘to place himself [in the category of] a rasha`‘), that is to say on the basis of testimony about himself one is not convicted (lit. ‘made a rasha`‘) for behold the Torah invalidates a ‘close relative’ to testify. Yet the rova` (i.e. the penetrating participant in male homosexual relations – referring to a case mentioned earlier in the discussion) is put to death on the basis of such testimony since we divide his statement (i.e. ‘so-and-so penetrated me during homosexual relations and I was complicit in the act.’) and while we consider his testimony reliable with regard to the actions of his fellow, we do not consider him reliable with regard to his own actions – which would otherwise invalidate him to testify.”

Essentially, this passage is explaining that if one testified in court that he and another person willingly engaged in forbidden sexual relations together (for example – other similar cases exist as well), three things take place legally: [1] His incriminating testimony about his own behavior is not accepted as valid, [2] his testimony about the actions of the other person is accepted as valid (and may be combined with the testimony of another valid witness to effect a death penalty in the case), and [3] whereas such behavior – when attested to about him by others – would invalidate him to testify in the first place, the fact that he said it about himself does not invalidate him and he remains an acceptable witness.
This, however, only holds in capital and corporal cases – it does not count in monetary cases (see Musaf Rashi there). In other words, a person cannot incriminate himself to endanger his life, but he can incriminate himself to endanger his money. This is important to note as it means that אין אדם משים עצמו רשע is not a general, over-arching principle in halakhah, but rather has specifically-defined parameters of application.

I hope that this helps.

***

So do I.

More reading:

Dani Dayan and the Threat to Israeli Democracy | B’Tselem Provocation, 2008 | Why French Jews are Lobsters (and why American Jews are next –no, that’s not really part of the title. But it is true.) | Breaking the Silence Spokesperson’s Lies Refuted by His Former Army Mates | We are Descendants of the 20% | The Plight of the French Jew | While Jews are Murdered by Muslim Terrorists the Jerusalem Post says the real threat to Jews is "Jewish Terrorists" |