21 apr 2016
Channel 10 airs footage of Yosef Ben-David detailing to police investigators how he and his two accomplices hit the Palestinian teenager with a crow-bar and then poured gasoline over him and set him on fire.
Two days after Yosef Ben-David, 30, was found guilty of the murder of 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir, Channel 10 broadcast a chilling reconstruction of the murder in which the killer details exactly how it transpired.
Ben-David described how he and his two accomplices selected their victim and recounted the smallest details of how Abu Khdeir was murdered.
“We didn’t see a minor, we saw a man. He was tall and he was wearing a hood,” Ben-David said before elaborating on how the convicted trio kidnapped him.
Ben-David said that when Abu Khdeir was asked how to get to Tel Aviv or the Damascus Gate, he responded: "I am an Arab. I don’t understand."
"We covered his mouth so he couldn’t talk and put him in the car. The door didn’t close because his leg was blocking it. So we uncovered his mouth, and as a result he screamed,” Ben-David recounted.
In a state of panic, one of Ben-David's co-conspirators told him, "I am choking him (Abu Khdeir)."
"I said that maybe we should leave (Abu Khdeir), put him on the side (of the road) and forget it.”
All the while Abu Khdeir couldn't breathe, he said. Asked to re-enact how this was done, Ben-David replied: “I don’t want to demonstrate on a Jew.”
As the reconstruction proceeded, Ben-David took the investigators to the exact place where he took his victim and struck him with a crow-bar while exclaiming: “This is for the Fogel family, this is for Shalhevet Pass (a Jewish baby shot in 2001 by a Palestinian sniper - ed.).”
Ben-David then demanded that he be brought the the bottle of gasoline: “I poured it all over him. One bottle, one liter. I lit a lighter and didn’t think about anything. In one second he was aflame.”
Before the three kidnapped Abu Khdeir, they also attacked an Arab family. “We decided that we will go for a woman, attack her and go. She won’t bring any more terrorists into the world,” Ben-David continued. “She was walking with a stroller with two children. One on her right was wearing a white t-shirt and the second on the left was wearing a yellow shirt. We grabbed the boy in white by his throat and the second boy tried to kick us.”
After the woman began screaming and resisting, one of the gang punched her in the face which “sent her about three meters and she screamed and screamed. He then got back into the car and we drove off,” he recalled.
The three then contemplated their next victim and resolved “to simply take someone. We turned on the radio in Arabic, so that they wouldn’t recognize us. We were always taught to bless God’s name and not shame it. This is something which I always keep in mind. So we took off our kippah (yarmulke) for the first time in our lives so that we didn’t shame God’s name,” said Ben-David.
Shortly after this they spotted Abu Khdeir. “I said to them: yes, yes, yes him. Excellent. Excellent.”
After they set Abu Khdeir on fire, he explained “I took off the Arab’s sandals. I put them one on top of the other. We each washed our hands in the sprinklers and freshened up."
The Jerusalem District Court convicted Ben-David of murder on Tuesday after the protracted legal proceedings were delayed for months by psychiatric evaluations purporting that the defendant was clinically insane and that he was not responsible for his actions. However, the plea was disregarded after a court-appointed psychiatric evaluation rejected the assertion.
Abu Khdeir was murdered in July 2014 in revenge for the kidnapping and murder of the three teenagers, Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach.
Indeed, a day before Abu Khdeir’s murder, Ben-David and his accomplices attempted to kidnap seven-year-old Mussa Zalum as he walked with his mother and two brothers in Beit Hanina. The three scouted the area until they arrived at the Shuafat neighborhood in East Jerusalem, where they argued for twenty minutes about who to kidnap. “Let’s kidnap a minor. A woman screams more than a man,” one of them suggested.
Close to 3:45pm, they spotted Aby Khdeir. Two of them exited the vehicle and glanced at him to confirm that he was an Arab. Suspicious of the three, Abu Khdeir called his uncle and attempted to distance himself before they hit him and forced him into the car. During the struggle which ensued, Khdeir kicked one of his attackers in the head who shouted “finish him!”
Two days after Yosef Ben-David, 30, was found guilty of the murder of 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir, Channel 10 broadcast a chilling reconstruction of the murder in which the killer details exactly how it transpired.
Ben-David described how he and his two accomplices selected their victim and recounted the smallest details of how Abu Khdeir was murdered.
“We didn’t see a minor, we saw a man. He was tall and he was wearing a hood,” Ben-David said before elaborating on how the convicted trio kidnapped him.
Ben-David said that when Abu Khdeir was asked how to get to Tel Aviv or the Damascus Gate, he responded: "I am an Arab. I don’t understand."
"We covered his mouth so he couldn’t talk and put him in the car. The door didn’t close because his leg was blocking it. So we uncovered his mouth, and as a result he screamed,” Ben-David recounted.
In a state of panic, one of Ben-David's co-conspirators told him, "I am choking him (Abu Khdeir)."
"I said that maybe we should leave (Abu Khdeir), put him on the side (of the road) and forget it.”
All the while Abu Khdeir couldn't breathe, he said. Asked to re-enact how this was done, Ben-David replied: “I don’t want to demonstrate on a Jew.”
As the reconstruction proceeded, Ben-David took the investigators to the exact place where he took his victim and struck him with a crow-bar while exclaiming: “This is for the Fogel family, this is for Shalhevet Pass (a Jewish baby shot in 2001 by a Palestinian sniper - ed.).”
Ben-David then demanded that he be brought the the bottle of gasoline: “I poured it all over him. One bottle, one liter. I lit a lighter and didn’t think about anything. In one second he was aflame.”
Before the three kidnapped Abu Khdeir, they also attacked an Arab family. “We decided that we will go for a woman, attack her and go. She won’t bring any more terrorists into the world,” Ben-David continued. “She was walking with a stroller with two children. One on her right was wearing a white t-shirt and the second on the left was wearing a yellow shirt. We grabbed the boy in white by his throat and the second boy tried to kick us.”
After the woman began screaming and resisting, one of the gang punched her in the face which “sent her about three meters and she screamed and screamed. He then got back into the car and we drove off,” he recalled.
The three then contemplated their next victim and resolved “to simply take someone. We turned on the radio in Arabic, so that they wouldn’t recognize us. We were always taught to bless God’s name and not shame it. This is something which I always keep in mind. So we took off our kippah (yarmulke) for the first time in our lives so that we didn’t shame God’s name,” said Ben-David.
Shortly after this they spotted Abu Khdeir. “I said to them: yes, yes, yes him. Excellent. Excellent.”
After they set Abu Khdeir on fire, he explained “I took off the Arab’s sandals. I put them one on top of the other. We each washed our hands in the sprinklers and freshened up."
The Jerusalem District Court convicted Ben-David of murder on Tuesday after the protracted legal proceedings were delayed for months by psychiatric evaluations purporting that the defendant was clinically insane and that he was not responsible for his actions. However, the plea was disregarded after a court-appointed psychiatric evaluation rejected the assertion.
Abu Khdeir was murdered in July 2014 in revenge for the kidnapping and murder of the three teenagers, Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach.
Indeed, a day before Abu Khdeir’s murder, Ben-David and his accomplices attempted to kidnap seven-year-old Mussa Zalum as he walked with his mother and two brothers in Beit Hanina. The three scouted the area until they arrived at the Shuafat neighborhood in East Jerusalem, where they argued for twenty minutes about who to kidnap. “Let’s kidnap a minor. A woman screams more than a man,” one of them suggested.
Close to 3:45pm, they spotted Aby Khdeir. Two of them exited the vehicle and glanced at him to confirm that he was an Arab. Suspicious of the three, Abu Khdeir called his uncle and attempted to distance himself before they hit him and forced him into the car. During the struggle which ensued, Khdeir kicked one of his attackers in the head who shouted “finish him!”
19 apr 2016
The attack in which Hasano was killed
Initially, Sahban Titi, who ran over Avraham Hasano with his truck, was charged with manslaughter, but Military Advocate General reexamined the case to the request of the family, deciding to rectify the indictment.
The Military Advocate General has decided to accept an appeal from the family of Avraham Hasano, who was run over outside Hebron in October, and indict the Palestinian driver who killed him with murder, after initially indicting him with manslaughter.
In certain cases, families of victims have the right to appeal this kind of decision and request a secondary examination of the evidence material.
"After an additional thorough examination of the evidence and legal rulings, the Military Advocate General decided to accept the appeal and rectify the indictment, so Sahban Titi will be charged with murder," a statement by the Military Advocate General said.
Avraham Hasano was run over at al-Fawar junction in the southern Mt. Hebron area. Hasano was on his way to Kiryat Arba when several Palestinians began to throw stones at his car. He stopped the car and got out, and was hit by a truck.
The Palestinian driver, Sahban Titi, drove off, but later turned himself in to the Palestinian security forces, and was subsequently released. He was then detained by Israel and taken for further investigation.
Titi initially claimed he hit Hasano by accident, but the Hasano family was later recognized by the Defense Ministry as "terror victims."
"Avraham's belief and the belief that we continue to have is to fight for justice until the very end," Avraham's widow Ruth said. "We believe that God is just and that the truth will come to light. This is how it's been since the attack, when we thought at first that this wasn't nationalistically motivated. We thank God that he enabled the IDF representatives to see the truth."
Initially, Sahban Titi, who ran over Avraham Hasano with his truck, was charged with manslaughter, but Military Advocate General reexamined the case to the request of the family, deciding to rectify the indictment.
The Military Advocate General has decided to accept an appeal from the family of Avraham Hasano, who was run over outside Hebron in October, and indict the Palestinian driver who killed him with murder, after initially indicting him with manslaughter.
In certain cases, families of victims have the right to appeal this kind of decision and request a secondary examination of the evidence material.
"After an additional thorough examination of the evidence and legal rulings, the Military Advocate General decided to accept the appeal and rectify the indictment, so Sahban Titi will be charged with murder," a statement by the Military Advocate General said.
Avraham Hasano was run over at al-Fawar junction in the southern Mt. Hebron area. Hasano was on his way to Kiryat Arba when several Palestinians began to throw stones at his car. He stopped the car and got out, and was hit by a truck.
The Palestinian driver, Sahban Titi, drove off, but later turned himself in to the Palestinian security forces, and was subsequently released. He was then detained by Israel and taken for further investigation.
Titi initially claimed he hit Hasano by accident, but the Hasano family was later recognized by the Defense Ministry as "terror victims."
"Avraham's belief and the belief that we continue to have is to fight for justice until the very end," Avraham's widow Ruth said. "We believe that God is just and that the truth will come to light. This is how it's been since the attack, when we thought at first that this wasn't nationalistically motivated. We thank God that he enabled the IDF representatives to see the truth."
Yishai Shlissel, who spent 10 years in jail for stabbing people at the 2005 gay pride parade, convicted of killing Shira Banki at the gay pride parade last July.
Yishai Shlissel was convicted on Tuesday of murdering 16-year-old Shira Banki and stabbing five others at Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade last July.
"It has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that the plaintiff intentionally caused the death of Shira," ruled Judge Nava Ben-Or of the Jerusalem District Court.
The court issued a scathing critique of the police's management of the gay pride parade's security. "The ease with which the plaintiff successfully infiltrated the parade is beyond comprehension. The writing was on the wall."
Two months before the parade, Shlissel had finished serving a ten year sentence for a similar attack at the gay pride parade in 2005. He was originally sentenced to 12 years in prison, but was released early on good behavior.
Ahead of the parade on July 30, 2015, Shlissel expressed on several occasions, both in the media and in ads published in ultra-Orthodox synagogues in Jerusalem and Kiryat Sefer, his opposition to holding the parade.
The court further criticized the police for not restricting Shlissel's movement or sending him to a rehabilitation program after he was released from prison.
"Shira was a young, innocent, and a good-hearted person. She had hopes and dreams. The plaintiff, in his dark and cruel act, ended her life," the court said.
Yishai Shlissel was convicted on Tuesday of murdering 16-year-old Shira Banki and stabbing five others at Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade last July.
"It has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that the plaintiff intentionally caused the death of Shira," ruled Judge Nava Ben-Or of the Jerusalem District Court.
The court issued a scathing critique of the police's management of the gay pride parade's security. "The ease with which the plaintiff successfully infiltrated the parade is beyond comprehension. The writing was on the wall."
Two months before the parade, Shlissel had finished serving a ten year sentence for a similar attack at the gay pride parade in 2005. He was originally sentenced to 12 years in prison, but was released early on good behavior.
Ahead of the parade on July 30, 2015, Shlissel expressed on several occasions, both in the media and in ads published in ultra-Orthodox synagogues in Jerusalem and Kiryat Sefer, his opposition to holding the parade.
The court further criticized the police for not restricting Shlissel's movement or sending him to a rehabilitation program after he was released from prison.
"Shira was a young, innocent, and a good-hearted person. She had hopes and dreams. The plaintiff, in his dark and cruel act, ended her life," the court said.
Yosef Ben-David, 30, convicted of the murder of the Palestinian youth in July 2014; the Jerusalem district psychiatrist stated that Ben-David is an imposter and is responsible for his actions.
Yosef Ben-David, 30, was convicted on Tuesday morning of murdering Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir in July 2014, after the Jerusalem District Court found him responsible for his actions.
In November, the Jerusalem District Court ruled that Ben-David committed the murder, but did not convict him because of a previous psychiatric assessment presented by his attorneys which questioned his sanity.
In February, however, a court-appointed psychiatrist has determined that Ben-David is responsible for his actions and fit to stand trial. Furthermore, the psychiatrist determined that Ben-David's claims were not credible and was only pretending to be insane.
But Ben-David’s defense team filed for further psychiatric evaluation. In a private opinion written by Dr. Yonathan Sirkin, it was determined that he committed the kidnapping and murder during a psychotic episode, and therefore is not responsible for his actions.
The judges, however, determined that Ben-David did not have a psychotic episode, and is responsible for his actions.
Hussein, Abu Kdheir’s father, said at the end of the hearing, "We knew from the beginning that he was not crazy but rather a liar. It hurts us very much. The trial lasted too long, this is the 35th hearing. Every time we see him our blood boils."
Before the hearing, Hussein demanded justice, saying "Their house should be destroyed, as is done to the Arabs. I expect that he will remain in prison for life and that he will not receive a pardon.”
MKs Ahmed Tibi and Osama Saadi (Joint List) attended the hearing.
Abu Khdeir’s murder sparked a wave of terrorism in Jerusalem. Ben-David and two minors, who were both convicted for their role in the murder, abducted the 16-year-old teenager and killed him after the funeral of the three Jewish teens Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach who were kidnapped and murdered on June 12, 2014.
Yosef Ben-David, 30, was convicted on Tuesday morning of murdering Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir in July 2014, after the Jerusalem District Court found him responsible for his actions.
In November, the Jerusalem District Court ruled that Ben-David committed the murder, but did not convict him because of a previous psychiatric assessment presented by his attorneys which questioned his sanity.
In February, however, a court-appointed psychiatrist has determined that Ben-David is responsible for his actions and fit to stand trial. Furthermore, the psychiatrist determined that Ben-David's claims were not credible and was only pretending to be insane.
But Ben-David’s defense team filed for further psychiatric evaluation. In a private opinion written by Dr. Yonathan Sirkin, it was determined that he committed the kidnapping and murder during a psychotic episode, and therefore is not responsible for his actions.
The judges, however, determined that Ben-David did not have a psychotic episode, and is responsible for his actions.
Hussein, Abu Kdheir’s father, said at the end of the hearing, "We knew from the beginning that he was not crazy but rather a liar. It hurts us very much. The trial lasted too long, this is the 35th hearing. Every time we see him our blood boils."
Before the hearing, Hussein demanded justice, saying "Their house should be destroyed, as is done to the Arabs. I expect that he will remain in prison for life and that he will not receive a pardon.”
MKs Ahmed Tibi and Osama Saadi (Joint List) attended the hearing.
Abu Khdeir’s murder sparked a wave of terrorism in Jerusalem. Ben-David and two minors, who were both convicted for their role in the murder, abducted the 16-year-old teenager and killed him after the funeral of the three Jewish teens Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach who were kidnapped and murdered on June 12, 2014.
18 apr 2016
An Israeli court issued Monday demolition orders against 11 Palestinian-owned homes and a mosque east of occupied Jerusalem.
Local activist Atallah Mazara’a affirmed that 11 homes belonging to the two families Mazara’a and Jahalin and a local mosque in Jabal al-Baba area are threatened with demolition.
Mazara’a described the court’s demolition order as an illegal precedent that would displace 50 citizens including children. He pointed out that the Israeli civil administration crews handed over 12 orders to stop reconstruction of local facilities since last February.
Such demolition orders came in favor of Israeli settlement expansion in the area, according to Mazara’a. Mazara’a called on local and international human rights institutions to support the steadfastness of the Bedouin community who face systematic forced displacement from their lands as part of the Israeli E1 settlement project.
Settlement construction in E1 would effectively divide the West Bank into two parts and make the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state almost impossible. Israeli E1 settlement project has attracted widespread international condemnation.
Local activist Atallah Mazara’a affirmed that 11 homes belonging to the two families Mazara’a and Jahalin and a local mosque in Jabal al-Baba area are threatened with demolition.
Mazara’a described the court’s demolition order as an illegal precedent that would displace 50 citizens including children. He pointed out that the Israeli civil administration crews handed over 12 orders to stop reconstruction of local facilities since last February.
Such demolition orders came in favor of Israeli settlement expansion in the area, according to Mazara’a. Mazara’a called on local and international human rights institutions to support the steadfastness of the Bedouin community who face systematic forced displacement from their lands as part of the Israeli E1 settlement project.
Settlement construction in E1 would effectively divide the West Bank into two parts and make the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state almost impossible. Israeli E1 settlement project has attracted widespread international condemnation.
14 apr 2016
The IDF soldier who shot a neutralized terrorist in Hebron in late March will be charged with manslaughter, according to an official statement issued by military prosecutors.
The soldier who shot and killed a neutralized terrorist in Hebron three weeks ago will be charged with manslaughter, as per an official prosecutor’s statement issued to the military court in Jaffa on Thursday. A group of ten people, equipped with a sound system, demonstrated outside the courtroom in support of soldier. “Whoever kills terrorists is an Israeli hero,” they shouted.
The soldier’s attorney, Eyal Baserglick, said during the court session that there was no cause for keeping the soldier under detention.
“The court ruled unambiguously that the investigative evidence shows another investigative way of examining the defendant’s actions, and the defense’s video shows this with a string of many testimonies. The court is rules that, at the very least, there is an honest mistake here,” he said, continuing, “The prosecution’s evidence pieces are collapsing one after the other like a house of cards.” He claimed that the trial can go on with the soldier not detained.
The prosecutor, Lt. Col. Adoram Rigler, said the soldier should be kept in detention due to new evidence strengthens the prosecution’s case. According to Rigler, the forensic pathologist’s report states that the terrorist’s death was caused by the soldier’s headshot, and that none of the other shots could have caused his death.
The court decided to extend the soldier's remand by another five days.
Military prosecutors were initially investigated the Hebron incident as a murder, but have now apparently decided to downgrade the charge. The soldier is currently out of military jail, but being kept in open detention at an IDF base in central Israel.
The soldier who shot and killed a neutralized terrorist in Hebron three weeks ago will be charged with manslaughter, as per an official prosecutor’s statement issued to the military court in Jaffa on Thursday. A group of ten people, equipped with a sound system, demonstrated outside the courtroom in support of soldier. “Whoever kills terrorists is an Israeli hero,” they shouted.
The soldier’s attorney, Eyal Baserglick, said during the court session that there was no cause for keeping the soldier under detention.
“The court ruled unambiguously that the investigative evidence shows another investigative way of examining the defendant’s actions, and the defense’s video shows this with a string of many testimonies. The court is rules that, at the very least, there is an honest mistake here,” he said, continuing, “The prosecution’s evidence pieces are collapsing one after the other like a house of cards.” He claimed that the trial can go on with the soldier not detained.
The prosecutor, Lt. Col. Adoram Rigler, said the soldier should be kept in detention due to new evidence strengthens the prosecution’s case. According to Rigler, the forensic pathologist’s report states that the terrorist’s death was caused by the soldier’s headshot, and that none of the other shots could have caused his death.
The court decided to extend the soldier's remand by another five days.
Military prosecutors were initially investigated the Hebron incident as a murder, but have now apparently decided to downgrade the charge. The soldier is currently out of military jail, but being kept in open detention at an IDF base in central Israel.
13 apr 2016
Family reacts with anger; 'This can't be. The terrorist came to murder my father,' says son of Avraham Hasno, who was run over by truck near Fawwar after his car was pelted with stones and he had to exit it.
The Military Advocate General has decided to charge the Palestinian who ran over Avraham Asher Hasno with manslaughter instead of murder, the victim's family was informed on Tuesday.
The family received the news with anger, calling the decision outrageous. "It can't be that the terrorist who ran over and murdered my father will only be charged with manslaughter and not murder," said Maydad Hasno, Avraham's son.
Last October, Avraham Hasno was on his way to Kiryat Arba when several Palestinians pelted his car with stones near Fawwar, southwest of Hebron. He stopped and exited the vehicle, and was run over by a truck driven by a Palestinian from Dhahiriya.
The driver fled the scene, and later turned himself in to Palestinian authorities, claiming it was an accident.
At first, the incident was treated as a hit-and-run, but two weeks later Avraham was recognized by the Defense Ministry as a victim of an act of terrorism.
In March, after Palestinian authorities released him, the Palestinian was detained by Israeli forces and taken for questioning.
The Hasno family said it intends to involve relevant authorities in an effort to change the charges against the driver.
"Our family fought to be recognized as a family of a terror victim. Now, we're going through the whole thing again when he (the driver) is going to be charged with manslaughter and not murder," son Maydad said. "We're simply shocked. This terrorist came to murder my father."
The Military Advocate General has decided to charge the Palestinian who ran over Avraham Asher Hasno with manslaughter instead of murder, the victim's family was informed on Tuesday.
The family received the news with anger, calling the decision outrageous. "It can't be that the terrorist who ran over and murdered my father will only be charged with manslaughter and not murder," said Maydad Hasno, Avraham's son.
Last October, Avraham Hasno was on his way to Kiryat Arba when several Palestinians pelted his car with stones near Fawwar, southwest of Hebron. He stopped and exited the vehicle, and was run over by a truck driven by a Palestinian from Dhahiriya.
The driver fled the scene, and later turned himself in to Palestinian authorities, claiming it was an accident.
At first, the incident was treated as a hit-and-run, but two weeks later Avraham was recognized by the Defense Ministry as a victim of an act of terrorism.
In March, after Palestinian authorities released him, the Palestinian was detained by Israeli forces and taken for questioning.
The Hasno family said it intends to involve relevant authorities in an effort to change the charges against the driver.
"Our family fought to be recognized as a family of a terror victim. Now, we're going through the whole thing again when he (the driver) is going to be charged with manslaughter and not murder," son Maydad said. "We're simply shocked. This terrorist came to murder my father."
Soldiers court-martialed after confiscating Palestinian flag at northern West Bank checkpoint and burning it; squad commander removed from position, gets 20 days in prison, another soldier confined to base for 28 days.
Two soldiers from the Kfir Brigade were court-martialed on Wednesday after setting fire to a Palestinian flag they confiscated near an Arab village in the northern West Bank.
An initial investigation by the IDF found that while soldiers were inspecting a car, they confiscated a Palestinian flag from it and set it aligt. They then threw it into nearby bushes.
The checkpoint itself is manned by four soldiers, but only two were court-martialed and disciplined. The squad commander was removed from his commanding role and sentenced to 20 days in military prison. Another soldier was confined to the base for 28 days.
A military official confirmed that an initial investigation was undertaken in the field because it the soldiers apparently acted against protocol.
The IDF Spokesperson's Office also stated, "The first investigation made clear that it was an unusual incident and that the soldiers acted in contradiction with what is expected of it and against commanders' instructions."
Two soldiers from the Kfir Brigade were court-martialed on Wednesday after setting fire to a Palestinian flag they confiscated near an Arab village in the northern West Bank.
An initial investigation by the IDF found that while soldiers were inspecting a car, they confiscated a Palestinian flag from it and set it aligt. They then threw it into nearby bushes.
The checkpoint itself is manned by four soldiers, but only two were court-martialed and disciplined. The squad commander was removed from his commanding role and sentenced to 20 days in military prison. Another soldier was confined to the base for 28 days.
A military official confirmed that an initial investigation was undertaken in the field because it the soldiers apparently acted against protocol.
The IDF Spokesperson's Office also stated, "The first investigation made clear that it was an unusual incident and that the soldiers acted in contradiction with what is expected of it and against commanders' instructions."
Attorney of youth sentenced to 21 years for involvement in murder of Palestinian teenager claims: 'He was unaware of any murderous intentions'; main suspect in the case, Yosef Ben-David Haim, to be sentenced next week.
One of the two minors convicted for the kidnapping and murder of Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir in July 2014 appealed his sentence to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, claiming he only played a minor role in the attack.
The defendant was sentenced to "only" 21 years in prison after judges determined that he played a “minor role” in the murder, while his accomplice received a life sentence.
According to the appellant's attorney, Avi Hymie, his client was unaware of the intentions of his two accomplices to carry out a murder.
Moreover, he repeated a previous line of defense that the accused was 16 years old at the time of the murder and that despite the minor role he played, his intentions were limited to merely kidnapping and beating an Arab in revenge for the kidnapping and murder of the three Jewish teens Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach a month prior to Khdeir's murder. He further noted that his client sat with his back to his two companions during the journey after they burned Khdeir to death.
Due to the fact that the murder was not premeditated and that he neither wanted nor intended to kill Khdeir, the attorney contended, a sentence based on murder and kidnapping with intent to murder, as determined by the courts, was legally untenable.
During the sentencing, Judges Yaakov Saban and Rivka Freidman Feldman justified the more lenient sentence in comparison to his accomplice, claiming that "he is young and could potentially be rehabilitated. Despite his nefarious actions - in which he kidnapped the deceased, prevented him from resisting and helped strangle him - he did not physically participate in the latter parts (of the attack) in which gasoline or oil was poured on the victim’s body.”
The second individual who was indicted for the murder, represented by attorney Zion Amir, requested an extension to present an appeal.
The Jerusalem District Court will determine next week whether to sentence the third and central suspect in the incident, Yosef Haim Ben David, or to accept a personal medical assessment which raises questions about his mental stability and which could absolve him of responsibility for his actions.
One of the two minors convicted for the kidnapping and murder of Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir in July 2014 appealed his sentence to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, claiming he only played a minor role in the attack.
The defendant was sentenced to "only" 21 years in prison after judges determined that he played a “minor role” in the murder, while his accomplice received a life sentence.
According to the appellant's attorney, Avi Hymie, his client was unaware of the intentions of his two accomplices to carry out a murder.
Moreover, he repeated a previous line of defense that the accused was 16 years old at the time of the murder and that despite the minor role he played, his intentions were limited to merely kidnapping and beating an Arab in revenge for the kidnapping and murder of the three Jewish teens Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach a month prior to Khdeir's murder. He further noted that his client sat with his back to his two companions during the journey after they burned Khdeir to death.
Due to the fact that the murder was not premeditated and that he neither wanted nor intended to kill Khdeir, the attorney contended, a sentence based on murder and kidnapping with intent to murder, as determined by the courts, was legally untenable.
During the sentencing, Judges Yaakov Saban and Rivka Freidman Feldman justified the more lenient sentence in comparison to his accomplice, claiming that "he is young and could potentially be rehabilitated. Despite his nefarious actions - in which he kidnapped the deceased, prevented him from resisting and helped strangle him - he did not physically participate in the latter parts (of the attack) in which gasoline or oil was poured on the victim’s body.”
The second individual who was indicted for the murder, represented by attorney Zion Amir, requested an extension to present an appeal.
The Jerusalem District Court will determine next week whether to sentence the third and central suspect in the incident, Yosef Haim Ben David, or to accept a personal medical assessment which raises questions about his mental stability and which could absolve him of responsibility for his actions.
A court session for the prisoner Mohamed Haroub was held Monday in Ofer court, family sources revealed on Tuesday.
The prisoner’ mother said that a state of tension spread during the court session after Israeli forces prevented her from shaking hands with her son.
Speaking exclusively to the PIC, the mother pointed out that the Israeli prosecution called for sentencing Mohamed for ten life terms imprisonment.
“During the hearing, the court clerk asked Mohamed to stand up straight and to pay attention to the judge.
However, he refused to stand up and said he doesn’t recognize the unfair trial.”
"I will be soon released during the next prisoners swap deal against your will", the mother quoted her son as saying to the judge.
Mohamed Haroub, from Dura town in al-Khalil, was arrested in November 2015 after being allegedly involved in an anti-occupation attack.
The prisoner’ mother said that a state of tension spread during the court session after Israeli forces prevented her from shaking hands with her son.
Speaking exclusively to the PIC, the mother pointed out that the Israeli prosecution called for sentencing Mohamed for ten life terms imprisonment.
“During the hearing, the court clerk asked Mohamed to stand up straight and to pay attention to the judge.
However, he refused to stand up and said he doesn’t recognize the unfair trial.”
"I will be soon released during the next prisoners swap deal against your will", the mother quoted her son as saying to the judge.
Mohamed Haroub, from Dura town in al-Khalil, was arrested in November 2015 after being allegedly involved in an anti-occupation attack.
In an unprecedented achievement, the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Advocacy Center (JLAC) managed to revoke an Israeli decision to demolish the home in a Palestinian, who was killed on Monday January 25, 2016, after carrying out a stabbing attack.
The JLAC said it managed to get the Israeli Army general commander to revoke his earlier decision to demolish the family home of Ibrahim Allan, after its lawyer, Raed Nasser Basheer, filed an appeal that includes various detailed field researches, and legal documents, proving that the demolition of homes is an act of collective punishment, in direct violation of basic laws and human rights principles.
Basheer detailed how collective punishment never worked, as the demolitions of homes belonging to families of Palestinian attackers were not a deterrent, but in fact, led to more escalation and vengeance attacks.
“We provided the military judge with all need documents, comparative and scientific studies that convinced him that all of his previous decisions were wrong as he never took the impacted families into consideration.” Basheer said, “This is an unprecedented move that could cause a change in Israel’s home demolition policies as a punishment for families of Palestinians believed to be involved or responsible for attacks against Israel.”
The JLAC said that this was the first decision ever, and carries a great significance on the legal level, adding that Israel recently demolished 27 homes in punitive, collective punishment, rulings against families of Palestinians who attacked Israelis, including soldiers and settlers.
It added that there are 91 outstanding demolition orders, which if implemented, hundreds of Palestinians, including children and elderly, will be rendered homeless, an issue that violates International Law and all related agreements, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention and the protection of civilians.
On Monday, January 25, 2016, Ibrahim Allan and Hussein Abu Ghosh were killed after carrying out a stabbing attack in Beit Horon Israeli colony, built on Palestinian lands, west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
A day later, a seriously wounded Israeli woman, identified as Shlomit Krigman, 24, died from her wounds at the Hadassah Israeli medical center, in Jerusalem. Another Israeli woman suffered a moderate wound.
The Israeli military commander issued the demolition order of the Allan family home on February 14, and only granted the family 48 hours to file an appeal.
The family instantly headed to the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Advocacy Center (JLAC), and the center immediately accepted the case, and started a relentless work to overturn the military decision, based on the fact that the demolition order in an act of collective punishment.
The JLAC said it managed to get the Israeli Army general commander to revoke his earlier decision to demolish the family home of Ibrahim Allan, after its lawyer, Raed Nasser Basheer, filed an appeal that includes various detailed field researches, and legal documents, proving that the demolition of homes is an act of collective punishment, in direct violation of basic laws and human rights principles.
Basheer detailed how collective punishment never worked, as the demolitions of homes belonging to families of Palestinian attackers were not a deterrent, but in fact, led to more escalation and vengeance attacks.
“We provided the military judge with all need documents, comparative and scientific studies that convinced him that all of his previous decisions were wrong as he never took the impacted families into consideration.” Basheer said, “This is an unprecedented move that could cause a change in Israel’s home demolition policies as a punishment for families of Palestinians believed to be involved or responsible for attacks against Israel.”
The JLAC said that this was the first decision ever, and carries a great significance on the legal level, adding that Israel recently demolished 27 homes in punitive, collective punishment, rulings against families of Palestinians who attacked Israelis, including soldiers and settlers.
It added that there are 91 outstanding demolition orders, which if implemented, hundreds of Palestinians, including children and elderly, will be rendered homeless, an issue that violates International Law and all related agreements, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention and the protection of civilians.
On Monday, January 25, 2016, Ibrahim Allan and Hussein Abu Ghosh were killed after carrying out a stabbing attack in Beit Horon Israeli colony, built on Palestinian lands, west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
A day later, a seriously wounded Israeli woman, identified as Shlomit Krigman, 24, died from her wounds at the Hadassah Israeli medical center, in Jerusalem. Another Israeli woman suffered a moderate wound.
The Israeli military commander issued the demolition order of the Allan family home on February 14, and only granted the family 48 hours to file an appeal.
The family instantly headed to the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Advocacy Center (JLAC), and the center immediately accepted the case, and started a relentless work to overturn the military decision, based on the fact that the demolition order in an act of collective punishment.
