12 june 2011
3 soldiers suspected of 'price tag' acts
Three suspected of vandalizing IDF equipment in several instances, but deny allegations
Israel Police and the Investigating Military Police arrested three soldiers from the Central Command on Tuesday on suspicion they were involved in "price tag" actions against the IDF.
The three are suspected of taking part in a number of incidents where IDF property was vandalized. They were turned over for questioning. One of the suspects serves as a combatant in an infantry unit as part of a hesder yeshiva and the other two serve in the Home Front Command.
The three were apprehended following the arrest of seven girls on Sunday suspected of the same "price tag" acts. At least one of the suspects will face a remand hearing on Wednesday.
At least one of the suspects chose to remain silent during his interrogation, while the other two denied the allegations.
Israel Police and the Investigating Military Police arrested three soldiers from the Central Command on Tuesday on suspicion they were involved in "price tag" actions against the IDF.
The three are suspected of taking part in a number of incidents where IDF property was vandalized. They were turned over for questioning. One of the suspects serves as a combatant in an infantry unit as part of a hesder yeshiva and the other two serve in the Home Front Command.
The three were apprehended following the arrest of seven girls on Sunday suspected of the same "price tag" acts. At least one of the suspects will face a remand hearing on Wednesday.
At least one of the suspects chose to remain silent during his interrogation, while the other two denied the allegations.
1 may 2011
Palestinans at a checkpoint
Border Guard officers Yishai Ben Ozri, Shani Sivilya indicted over checkpoint incident during which they beat 17-year-old Palestinian. They allegedly continued abusing victim at local police station
The Police Internal Investigations Department filed an indictment with the Jerusaelm District Court on Sunday against two Border Guard officers – Yishai Ben Ozeri, 30, from Ariel and Shani Sivilya, 22, from Jerusalem, for aggravated abuse and assault of a 17 year-old Palestinian, Ynet has learned.
According to the indictment, which was first filed by attorney Tali Friedman from the Police Internal Investigation Department in March 2010, the minor was detained at the Rockefeller checkpoint near Jerusalem. A search revealed that he was carrying three firecrackers.
After the search, police claim that Ben Ozeri grabbed the minor's shirt, took him behind a nearby parked bus, beat him in the jaw and kicked him in the knee. The indictment further suggests that the victim was then handcuffed and turned over to Sivilya and another officer named Zion Benishti. The two put the minor into a squad car and during the drive to the police station Sivilya tightened his cuffs and pulled them down in order to hurt the teen.
When they reached the station, Sivilya and Benishti took the elevator with the minor where Sivilya covered his head with the coat he was wearing. When they got out of the elevator, Sivilya kicked the teen on his behind and threatened him, saying: "Ten more minutes and you're dead". It is claimed that the two officers led the Palestinian to an empty room at the station where they lowered him to his knees with his hands still tied behind his back and his head covered.
Motivated by racism
At this point, Sivilya took out her personal weapon, cocked it, and pointed the unloaded weapon to the victim's neck, while she counted down from 10 to one. The teen is then alleged to have screamed "no, no" after which, when she finished her countdown Sivilya pulled the trigger while yelling "Death to Arabs" and "All Arabs are whores". During the incident Benishti urged Sivilya to stop, but she refused.
Later Sivilya took the coat off the Palestinian's head, took one of the firecrackers found on his person and put it back in his pocket and covered his head again. She then used a lighter to make noises and scare him into thinking she was going to light the firecracker in his pocket. Sivilya allegedly hit the victim and slapped him on the head. As a result, the teen suffered a split lip, bruises on his hands and pain in his leg. The Police Internal Investigations Department claims that Sivilya's actions were motivated by racism.
The department also filed an indictment against Benishti, 23, from Givat Ze'ev. As he was only present during the incident and did not actively abuse the minor, Benishti has only been charged with breach of trust and fraud. He is also listed as a witness for the prosecution in the indictment against Sivilya and Ben Ozeri.
Border Guard officers Yishai Ben Ozri, Shani Sivilya indicted over checkpoint incident during which they beat 17-year-old Palestinian. They allegedly continued abusing victim at local police station
The Police Internal Investigations Department filed an indictment with the Jerusaelm District Court on Sunday against two Border Guard officers – Yishai Ben Ozeri, 30, from Ariel and Shani Sivilya, 22, from Jerusalem, for aggravated abuse and assault of a 17 year-old Palestinian, Ynet has learned.
According to the indictment, which was first filed by attorney Tali Friedman from the Police Internal Investigation Department in March 2010, the minor was detained at the Rockefeller checkpoint near Jerusalem. A search revealed that he was carrying three firecrackers.
After the search, police claim that Ben Ozeri grabbed the minor's shirt, took him behind a nearby parked bus, beat him in the jaw and kicked him in the knee. The indictment further suggests that the victim was then handcuffed and turned over to Sivilya and another officer named Zion Benishti. The two put the minor into a squad car and during the drive to the police station Sivilya tightened his cuffs and pulled them down in order to hurt the teen.
When they reached the station, Sivilya and Benishti took the elevator with the minor where Sivilya covered his head with the coat he was wearing. When they got out of the elevator, Sivilya kicked the teen on his behind and threatened him, saying: "Ten more minutes and you're dead". It is claimed that the two officers led the Palestinian to an empty room at the station where they lowered him to his knees with his hands still tied behind his back and his head covered.
Motivated by racism
At this point, Sivilya took out her personal weapon, cocked it, and pointed the unloaded weapon to the victim's neck, while she counted down from 10 to one. The teen is then alleged to have screamed "no, no" after which, when she finished her countdown Sivilya pulled the trigger while yelling "Death to Arabs" and "All Arabs are whores". During the incident Benishti urged Sivilya to stop, but she refused.
Later Sivilya took the coat off the Palestinian's head, took one of the firecrackers found on his person and put it back in his pocket and covered his head again. She then used a lighter to make noises and scare him into thinking she was going to light the firecracker in his pocket. Sivilya allegedly hit the victim and slapped him on the head. As a result, the teen suffered a split lip, bruises on his hands and pain in his leg. The Police Internal Investigations Department claims that Sivilya's actions were motivated by racism.
The department also filed an indictment against Benishti, 23, from Givat Ze'ev. As he was only present during the incident and did not actively abuse the minor, Benishti has only been charged with breach of trust and fraud. He is also listed as a witness for the prosecution in the indictment against Sivilya and Ben Ozeri.
12 apr 2011
Teenage girls suspected of West Bank sabotage
Six underage girls among suspects in case involving damage to IDF property, cutting down of trees in West Bank
Six underage girls and one woman were arrested on suspicion of cutting down hundreds of olive trees and damaging IDF property during the month of October.
They are suspected of trying to prevent the evacuation of a West Bank outpost and are facing a remand hearing at the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court.
The suspicions fall under the category of "nationalistic crime" – the new name given to "price tag" acts. Police claim the suspects caused damage to equipment in a military tent near the Esh Kodesh community in October.
They are also suspected of taking part in the cutting down of hundreds of Palestinians' olive trees near the village of Kusra.
The National Serious and International Crimes Unit has been holding a secret investigation of the matter for the past two months.
Settlers are claiming that officers arrested the suspected immediately after the alleged events and released them the next day on the condition they stay away from east Binyamin for one month.
"These are false arrests," claims Attorney Adi Keidar, who represents the suspects. "This happened two months ago and the girls were released with the police's consent. Now the Serious Crime Unit suddenly remembers to arrest them? It's a scandal.
"Moreover, they are suspected of very minor offences. How does such a case end up with a police elite unit?"
Associates of the suspects also leveled criticism at the investigation.
Six underage girls and one woman were arrested on suspicion of cutting down hundreds of olive trees and damaging IDF property during the month of October.
They are suspected of trying to prevent the evacuation of a West Bank outpost and are facing a remand hearing at the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court.
The suspicions fall under the category of "nationalistic crime" – the new name given to "price tag" acts. Police claim the suspects caused damage to equipment in a military tent near the Esh Kodesh community in October.
They are also suspected of taking part in the cutting down of hundreds of Palestinians' olive trees near the village of Kusra.
The National Serious and International Crimes Unit has been holding a secret investigation of the matter for the past two months.
Settlers are claiming that officers arrested the suspected immediately after the alleged events and released them the next day on the condition they stay away from east Binyamin for one month.
"These are false arrests," claims Attorney Adi Keidar, who represents the suspects. "This happened two months ago and the girls were released with the police's consent. Now the Serious Crime Unit suddenly remembers to arrest them? It's a scandal.
"Moreover, they are suspected of very minor offences. How does such a case end up with a police elite unit?"
Associates of the suspects also leveled criticism at the investigation.
31 mar 2011
Indictment suggests two teens sought revenge for Itamar massacre, set Arab students' cars on fire. Meanwhile, settlers outraged over police early morning raids.
Two teens from Safed have been indicted for torching two vehicles belonging to Arab students as revenge for theItamar massacre in which five members of the Fogel family were stabbed to death.
According to the indictment, Yonatan Iluz, 18, and a minor arrived at the dorms of a Safed college on March 16 and set two cars which they knew belonged to Arab students on fire and fled the scene.
Students who noticed the fire put it out, but one car was badly damaged and the tires of the other were burned.
According to the indictment, the background to the act was the terror attack in Itamar. Graffiti reading "Kahane was right" "revenge" and "price tag" were apparently sprayed in Safed after the attack.
The two deny the allegations and their attorney noted that the prosecution's case is based on circumstantial evidence.
"These are normative kids, without criminal records and from good families," Attorney Ram Shacham said.
Police raids in Itamar, Elon Moreh
Two teens from Safed have been indicted for torching two vehicles belonging to Arab students as revenge for theItamar massacre in which five members of the Fogel family were stabbed to death.
According to the indictment, Yonatan Iluz, 18, and a minor arrived at the dorms of a Safed college on March 16 and set two cars which they knew belonged to Arab students on fire and fled the scene.
Students who noticed the fire put it out, but one car was badly damaged and the tires of the other were burned.
According to the indictment, the background to the act was the terror attack in Itamar. Graffiti reading "Kahane was right" "revenge" and "price tag" were apparently sprayed in Safed after the attack.
The two deny the allegations and their attorney noted that the prosecution's case is based on circumstantial evidence.
"These are normative kids, without criminal records and from good families," Attorney Ram Shacham said.
Police raids in Itamar, Elon Moreh
Also Thursday, police detectives raided settler houses in Itamar trying to locate weapons used to fire a Palestinian man in a nearby village two months ago.
Officers also arrested Elon Moreh's secretariat director Seria Ademsky, a reserve officer. The settlers claim the police behaved insensitively and should have used better judgment. It is also claimed that a summons to the police station would have sufficed instead of early morning raids.
Shomron Regional Council Head Gershon Mesika called on Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch to intervene and discipline the police. "The police is losing control over itself," he noted and cited other incidents such as police violence in Givat Ronen and clashes in Havat Gilad.
"Samaria residents are not second rate citizens and we shall not tolerate this behavior."
MK Tzipi Hotovely demanded an urgent debate on the matter be held at the Knesset's Internal Affairs Committee.
Officers also arrested Elon Moreh's secretariat director Seria Ademsky, a reserve officer. The settlers claim the police behaved insensitively and should have used better judgment. It is also claimed that a summons to the police station would have sufficed instead of early morning raids.
Shomron Regional Council Head Gershon Mesika called on Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch to intervene and discipline the police. "The police is losing control over itself," he noted and cited other incidents such as police violence in Givat Ronen and clashes in Havat Gilad.
"Samaria residents are not second rate citizens and we shall not tolerate this behavior."
MK Tzipi Hotovely demanded an urgent debate on the matter be held at the Knesset's Internal Affairs Committee.
27 mar 2011
Zvi Struck
Court sentences Zvi Struck, who kidnapped, injured 15-year-old Palestinian in 2007, to 18 months in prison.
'I cannot avoid expressing disgust, deep shock over the signs of trauma the minor suffered,' Judge in case says.
The Jerusalem District Court sentenced Zvi Struck, a 28-year-old resident of the Shilo settlement, to 18 months in prison for kidnapping and abusing a 15-year-old Palestinian boy.
Struck was convicted on the charges of aggravated battery, kidnapping with intention to injure, causing damage and three counts of assault. In addition to the prison term, the court sentenced him to one year of probation, and ordered him to pay the victim NIS 50,000 ($14,100) in compensation.
"There is no doubt that the actions harmed the complainant, who was 15 at the time, in a grievous manner," Judge Amnon Cohen noted.
"I reviewed the medical records and the difficult photographs that were taken of the complainant immediately after the event, and I cannot avoid expressing disgust and deep shock over the signs of terrible trauma that the minor suffered."
The incident took place in July 2007; Struck and another suspect kidnapped and beat the Palestinian teen, a resident of the West Bank village of Kusra.
The teen was later found unconscious in an open field, naked, tied and injured, after making it to a main road on his own. Passersby rushed him to a hospital in nearby Nablus.
In addition to the assault, Struck was also convicted for a previous incident, during which he met with the teen on the outskirts of Kusra and demanded him to leave the area claiming he was trespassing on his land.
At that time he slapped the teen, and killed a newborn goat by kicking it.
"The character testimonies that I heard are not in line with the difficult actions that the accused committed," Cohen wrote. "Any punishment that does not include a prison sentence will not send the message that must come out of this court, considering the severity of his actions."
'Judge chose terrorist's version'
Court sentences Zvi Struck, who kidnapped, injured 15-year-old Palestinian in 2007, to 18 months in prison.
'I cannot avoid expressing disgust, deep shock over the signs of trauma the minor suffered,' Judge in case says.
The Jerusalem District Court sentenced Zvi Struck, a 28-year-old resident of the Shilo settlement, to 18 months in prison for kidnapping and abusing a 15-year-old Palestinian boy.
Struck was convicted on the charges of aggravated battery, kidnapping with intention to injure, causing damage and three counts of assault. In addition to the prison term, the court sentenced him to one year of probation, and ordered him to pay the victim NIS 50,000 ($14,100) in compensation.
"There is no doubt that the actions harmed the complainant, who was 15 at the time, in a grievous manner," Judge Amnon Cohen noted.
"I reviewed the medical records and the difficult photographs that were taken of the complainant immediately after the event, and I cannot avoid expressing disgust and deep shock over the signs of terrible trauma that the minor suffered."
The incident took place in July 2007; Struck and another suspect kidnapped and beat the Palestinian teen, a resident of the West Bank village of Kusra.
The teen was later found unconscious in an open field, naked, tied and injured, after making it to a main road on his own. Passersby rushed him to a hospital in nearby Nablus.
In addition to the assault, Struck was also convicted for a previous incident, during which he met with the teen on the outskirts of Kusra and demanded him to leave the area claiming he was trespassing on his land.
At that time he slapped the teen, and killed a newborn goat by kicking it.
"The character testimonies that I heard are not in line with the difficult actions that the accused committed," Cohen wrote. "Any punishment that does not include a prison sentence will not send the message that must come out of this court, considering the severity of his actions."
'Judge chose terrorist's version'
Struck is the son of right-wing activist Orit Struck, the chairman of the Human Rights Organization of Judea and Samaria.
"The fact that Judge Cohen chose the Arabs' version even though the primary witness is a terrorist, over the version of Zviki, an honest farmer, is appalling, insulting, erroneous and hostile," Orit Struck said. "The court very easily skipped over the discrepancies in the testimonies of the witnesses, and was determined to convict my son, who didn't do anything."
She also claimed that the fact that she is a prominent figure in the Hebron settlements has motivated the elements involved in the case to convict her son. "We are paying a price for being loyal to Israel and working for its benefit."
Zvi Struck insisted during the trial that he did not know the complainants and asserted that they were trying to incriminate him because they claim that he took over their lands.
Upon hearing the sentence, Struck's attorney Haim Cohen motioned the court to hold off implementing the sentence until a verdict is reached in the appeal, which he plans to file with the Supreme Court. The judge accepted the request, with the prosecution's consent. "We still claim that Struck is innocent, and hope that the Supreme Court proves his innocence." Cohen said.
Representatives of Yesh Din, a human right organization that tracks the authorities' handling of crimes perpetrated by Israelis against Palestinians and their property, said that this is a rare case in which the investigation and prosecution elements succeeded to convict the attacker on serious charges.
According to the organization's data, about 90% of the complaints filed by Palestinians against Israeli citizens end up dismissed for reason that point to the failure of the investigators, including insufficient evidence and unidentified suspects.
The victim's father expressed contentment with the verdict.
"The fact that Judge Cohen chose the Arabs' version even though the primary witness is a terrorist, over the version of Zviki, an honest farmer, is appalling, insulting, erroneous and hostile," Orit Struck said. "The court very easily skipped over the discrepancies in the testimonies of the witnesses, and was determined to convict my son, who didn't do anything."
She also claimed that the fact that she is a prominent figure in the Hebron settlements has motivated the elements involved in the case to convict her son. "We are paying a price for being loyal to Israel and working for its benefit."
Zvi Struck insisted during the trial that he did not know the complainants and asserted that they were trying to incriminate him because they claim that he took over their lands.
Upon hearing the sentence, Struck's attorney Haim Cohen motioned the court to hold off implementing the sentence until a verdict is reached in the appeal, which he plans to file with the Supreme Court. The judge accepted the request, with the prosecution's consent. "We still claim that Struck is innocent, and hope that the Supreme Court proves his innocence." Cohen said.
Representatives of Yesh Din, a human right organization that tracks the authorities' handling of crimes perpetrated by Israelis against Palestinians and their property, said that this is a rare case in which the investigation and prosecution elements succeeded to convict the attacker on serious charges.
According to the organization's data, about 90% of the complaints filed by Palestinians against Israeli citizens end up dismissed for reason that point to the failure of the investigators, including insufficient evidence and unidentified suspects.
The victim's father expressed contentment with the verdict.
4 mar 2011
Hussam Rawidi, the victim
'He told me, I feel like killing them,' says mother of teen charged with killing Arab in Jerusalem.
The teen who allegedly killed a 24-year old Arab resident of east Jerusalem told his mother that he hates Arabs and wants to kill them, Ynet learned Thursday.
Four teens were arrested after the lethal fight that took place in early February. Of them, the alleged stabber was charged with manslaughter while his three friends have been charged with aggravated assault.
At his interrogation, the teen refused to admit his participation in the brawl. Only after his mother was brought in did he recount the events.
"That night we drank, we sat and got high," he said. "Afterwards we went out just walking around, it was around 1 or 2 am, and then these two Arabs came."
The teen said the two had picked a fight because one of the boys was wearing the scarf of Jerusalem's Beitar soccer team, which is identified with right-wing politics.
At this point, he said, Hussam Rawidi, the victim, jumped on his friend, so he attacked the assailant and cut him in the face. Rawidi's friend began to run away, and Rawidi ran off in the same direction, only to be pursued by the alleged stabber.
"I ran after him and then I saw him slip on the floor. I told my friends to get the knife because he had fallen and that was it," he said.
The teen did not know of Rawidi's death until the news report on it, he claims. "My friend called me while I was on the bus," he recalled. "He said that there was one who had been killed. I nearly fainted at that moment I was stressed out from the whole thing, but I didn't want to just turn myself in because I was stressed, I didn't know what to do."
After his mother told him to turn himself into police, he says, he took her advice. "There's something I want to say, that the fight was just because we fought. It wasn't because he was an Arab, even if he had been Jewish we would have fought I was afraid of him, I didn't know he was Arab," he told police.
He also explained why he had used a knife. "I wanted to help, and suddenly I saw how big he was so I took out a knife. At first I went at him with nothing, the first thing I did was punch him but then I saw him go crazy so I wanted to take him down. I aimed there because I wanted to hurt him," he said.
"If I hadn't been high I wouldn`t have stabbed him. I regret what happened, and I want to make a change," the teen said. He admits that he does not like Arabs, "but I wouldn't get into trouble over an Arab," he said.
'They heard us speaking Arabic'
His mother, who was also questioned, told police, "He doesn't like Arabs, he says he hates them. He has a lot of anger and hate, he hates them. He told me, 'I feel like killing them.' But I told him, 'To kill an Arab, is that worth your life?'"
One of the alleged stabber's friends also admitted to harboring hatred for the Arab race. "I live in a settlement and they committed terror attacks in my community," he explained, recounting a case in which terrorists had killed a woman and her three children. "I've never liked Arabs," he said.
Marad, Rawidi's friend, gave a different account of the fight. He said the boys had heard them speaking Arabic and said, "Arab jerks." Then the alleged stabber hit Rawidi in the head with his fist, Marad recounted.
"I came to separate between them, everything happened so fast, and then they let him go and started to hit me. They punched me in the head, the face, the neck, and the back," he said.
"My glasses fell and I couldn't see anything so I started running. More guys came, about four, and everyone was hitting us and my friend ran away and slipped in the middle of the road. I started to run after him and I saw that his shirt was all bloody in the front."
Marad said he picked up Rawidi and carried him into a nearby restaurant. "I sat him down, took of his hat and put it on his face. I saw a scary cut on his face with streams of blood coming down," he recounted. Then, while trying to stop the blood, he called the police and paramedics.
"When I sat him down he was conscious," Marad said. "He said, 'There goes my face.' I told him an ambulance was on its way, that he only had to stay awake, but when the ambulance arrived he lost consciousness."
When asked by interrogators whether they had provoked the boys, Marad answered in the negative. "We didn't even speak to them. I was just speaking with my friend in Arabic, and we were laughing as usual," he said.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4037569,00.html
Teen who stabbed Arab youth in Jerusalem indicted for manslaughter
Three other suspects accused of assault, after the group allegedly attacked two Arab youths after they heard them speak Arabic.
The State Prosecution filed an indictment against four Jewish teens who were responsible for the stabbing of an Arab youth in Jerusalem last week.
The main suspect is indicted for manslaughter, while the other three teens are accused of assault under aggravated circumstances.
According to the indictment, the four minors, ages 16-17, were in central Jerusalem on a Friday two weeks ago, when they heard two young men speaking in Arabic. The suspects then allegedly approached them and started attacking them with racial slurs, saying comments such as "death to Arabs." Then one of the suspects began attacking one of the Arab boys, stabbing him with a blade from his left ear, through his cheek and neck.
The suspects allegedly continued to beat the Arab boy and his friend, punching them and kicking them to the ground while cursing them. The Arab boys then tried to escape, and the stabbed youth consequently collapsed and called the police for help. When the main suspect saw that the boy had collapsed, he allegedly fled the scene. Following the stabbing, the boy was evacuated to a hospital where he died of his wounds.
The suspects then allegedly ran to a friend's house nearby to bandage the main suspect's hand, who was injured from the blade. Two other suspects then allegedly returned to the scene of the crime in order to get rid of evidence, where police found them.
The decision by the prosecution to indict the main suspect solely for manslaughter corresponds to the police recommendation on the matter but contradicts an earlier announcement the police prosecutor issued on Thursday, when he said he intended on accusing the main suspect with murder and the other three suspects with causing bodily harm.
http://bit.ly/hcbAc2
'He told me, I feel like killing them,' says mother of teen charged with killing Arab in Jerusalem.
The teen who allegedly killed a 24-year old Arab resident of east Jerusalem told his mother that he hates Arabs and wants to kill them, Ynet learned Thursday.
Four teens were arrested after the lethal fight that took place in early February. Of them, the alleged stabber was charged with manslaughter while his three friends have been charged with aggravated assault.
At his interrogation, the teen refused to admit his participation in the brawl. Only after his mother was brought in did he recount the events.
"That night we drank, we sat and got high," he said. "Afterwards we went out just walking around, it was around 1 or 2 am, and then these two Arabs came."
The teen said the two had picked a fight because one of the boys was wearing the scarf of Jerusalem's Beitar soccer team, which is identified with right-wing politics.
At this point, he said, Hussam Rawidi, the victim, jumped on his friend, so he attacked the assailant and cut him in the face. Rawidi's friend began to run away, and Rawidi ran off in the same direction, only to be pursued by the alleged stabber.
"I ran after him and then I saw him slip on the floor. I told my friends to get the knife because he had fallen and that was it," he said.
The teen did not know of Rawidi's death until the news report on it, he claims. "My friend called me while I was on the bus," he recalled. "He said that there was one who had been killed. I nearly fainted at that moment I was stressed out from the whole thing, but I didn't want to just turn myself in because I was stressed, I didn't know what to do."
After his mother told him to turn himself into police, he says, he took her advice. "There's something I want to say, that the fight was just because we fought. It wasn't because he was an Arab, even if he had been Jewish we would have fought I was afraid of him, I didn't know he was Arab," he told police.
He also explained why he had used a knife. "I wanted to help, and suddenly I saw how big he was so I took out a knife. At first I went at him with nothing, the first thing I did was punch him but then I saw him go crazy so I wanted to take him down. I aimed there because I wanted to hurt him," he said.
"If I hadn't been high I wouldn`t have stabbed him. I regret what happened, and I want to make a change," the teen said. He admits that he does not like Arabs, "but I wouldn't get into trouble over an Arab," he said.
'They heard us speaking Arabic'
His mother, who was also questioned, told police, "He doesn't like Arabs, he says he hates them. He has a lot of anger and hate, he hates them. He told me, 'I feel like killing them.' But I told him, 'To kill an Arab, is that worth your life?'"
One of the alleged stabber's friends also admitted to harboring hatred for the Arab race. "I live in a settlement and they committed terror attacks in my community," he explained, recounting a case in which terrorists had killed a woman and her three children. "I've never liked Arabs," he said.
Marad, Rawidi's friend, gave a different account of the fight. He said the boys had heard them speaking Arabic and said, "Arab jerks." Then the alleged stabber hit Rawidi in the head with his fist, Marad recounted.
"I came to separate between them, everything happened so fast, and then they let him go and started to hit me. They punched me in the head, the face, the neck, and the back," he said.
"My glasses fell and I couldn't see anything so I started running. More guys came, about four, and everyone was hitting us and my friend ran away and slipped in the middle of the road. I started to run after him and I saw that his shirt was all bloody in the front."
Marad said he picked up Rawidi and carried him into a nearby restaurant. "I sat him down, took of his hat and put it on his face. I saw a scary cut on his face with streams of blood coming down," he recounted. Then, while trying to stop the blood, he called the police and paramedics.
"When I sat him down he was conscious," Marad said. "He said, 'There goes my face.' I told him an ambulance was on its way, that he only had to stay awake, but when the ambulance arrived he lost consciousness."
When asked by interrogators whether they had provoked the boys, Marad answered in the negative. "We didn't even speak to them. I was just speaking with my friend in Arabic, and we were laughing as usual," he said.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4037569,00.html
Teen who stabbed Arab youth in Jerusalem indicted for manslaughter
Three other suspects accused of assault, after the group allegedly attacked two Arab youths after they heard them speak Arabic.
The State Prosecution filed an indictment against four Jewish teens who were responsible for the stabbing of an Arab youth in Jerusalem last week.
The main suspect is indicted for manslaughter, while the other three teens are accused of assault under aggravated circumstances.
According to the indictment, the four minors, ages 16-17, were in central Jerusalem on a Friday two weeks ago, when they heard two young men speaking in Arabic. The suspects then allegedly approached them and started attacking them with racial slurs, saying comments such as "death to Arabs." Then one of the suspects began attacking one of the Arab boys, stabbing him with a blade from his left ear, through his cheek and neck.
The suspects allegedly continued to beat the Arab boy and his friend, punching them and kicking them to the ground while cursing them. The Arab boys then tried to escape, and the stabbed youth consequently collapsed and called the police for help. When the main suspect saw that the boy had collapsed, he allegedly fled the scene. Following the stabbing, the boy was evacuated to a hospital where he died of his wounds.
The suspects then allegedly ran to a friend's house nearby to bandage the main suspect's hand, who was injured from the blade. Two other suspects then allegedly returned to the scene of the crime in order to get rid of evidence, where police found them.
The decision by the prosecution to indict the main suspect solely for manslaughter corresponds to the police recommendation on the matter but contradicts an earlier announcement the police prosecutor issued on Thursday, when he said he intended on accusing the main suspect with murder and the other three suspects with causing bodily harm.
http://bit.ly/hcbAc2
