21 mar 2018
David Moyal
Prosecution to seek months in prison for David Moyal, the first defendant to be convicted on trial for brutal lynch in the central bus station of an Eritrean man who was mistaken for terrorist.
David Moyal was convicted Wednesday for his part in a 2015 lynch of an innocent Eritrean man who—mistaken for a terrorist who had just carried out a deadly shooting attack—was shot and then brutally beaten in Be’er Sheva’s Central Bus Station by an enraged mob.
As part of a plea bargain, Moyal, a 31-year-old resident of the southern city and one of four people indicted in the case, was convicted of abusing a helpless person.
Moyal, who was indicted for causing intentional aggravated injury, was filmed slamming a bench on the the victim, Haftom Zarhum, while he was helplessly lying on the floor.
Prosecution to seek months in prison for David Moyal, the first defendant to be convicted on trial for brutal lynch in the central bus station of an Eritrean man who was mistaken for terrorist.
David Moyal was convicted Wednesday for his part in a 2015 lynch of an innocent Eritrean man who—mistaken for a terrorist who had just carried out a deadly shooting attack—was shot and then brutally beaten in Be’er Sheva’s Central Bus Station by an enraged mob.
As part of a plea bargain, Moyal, a 31-year-old resident of the southern city and one of four people indicted in the case, was convicted of abusing a helpless person.
Moyal, who was indicted for causing intentional aggravated injury, was filmed slamming a bench on the the victim, Haftom Zarhum, while he was helplessly lying on the floor.
Haftom Zarhum
The trial of the other three defendants—IDF soldier Yaakov Shimba, Evyatar Dimri, and Israel Prison Service Officer Ronen Cohen, is still ongoing.
As part of the plea bargain, the State Attorney's Office will petition for a few months in prison, on condition that Moyal is found fit to serve the punishment. They will also seek symbolic compensation for the deceased's family.
The incident took place at the height of what became known as Israel's 'wave of terror' when a terrorist from Hura in the Negev snatched an M-16 assault rifle from IDF soldier Sergeant Omri Levy, which he used to open fire, murdering the soldier and wounding nine others, several of them members of Israel's security forces.
At the end of 2017, the presiding judge in the case sought to clarify reports that claimed he had decided not to consider footage of the murder captured on camera.
The Be’er Sheva District Court judge said that he had not rejected the footage as evidence, but rather had opted to delay discussions on its content until both the prosecution and defense teams had fully formulated their cases, which had yet to be completed due to legal technicalities.
The trial of the other three defendants—IDF soldier Yaakov Shimba, Evyatar Dimri, and Israel Prison Service Officer Ronen Cohen, is still ongoing.
As part of the plea bargain, the State Attorney's Office will petition for a few months in prison, on condition that Moyal is found fit to serve the punishment. They will also seek symbolic compensation for the deceased's family.
The incident took place at the height of what became known as Israel's 'wave of terror' when a terrorist from Hura in the Negev snatched an M-16 assault rifle from IDF soldier Sergeant Omri Levy, which he used to open fire, murdering the soldier and wounding nine others, several of them members of Israel's security forces.
At the end of 2017, the presiding judge in the case sought to clarify reports that claimed he had decided not to consider footage of the murder captured on camera.
The Be’er Sheva District Court judge said that he had not rejected the footage as evidence, but rather had opted to delay discussions on its content until both the prosecution and defense teams had fully formulated their cases, which had yet to be completed due to legal technicalities.
19 mar 2018
While boarding the plane, the three young men joked 'What would happen here if there was an explosion?' A flight attendant who heard them reported it to the captain, and the flight was delayed by three hours as the Israelis' bags were taken out of the luggage hold and checked.
Three Israelis were removed from a Turkish Airlines flight last week and arrested at the Istanbul Atatürk Airport for making jokes aloud about explosive devices and behaving in a generally unruly manner.
“What would happen here if there was an explosion?” the youths joked aloud.
Their flight was consequently delayed for three hours until all of their belongings were unloaded from the plane and their bags checked.
The flight was supposed to depart at 6:20pm, but the three Israeli youths prevented the prompt takeoff with their disorderly behavior.
The Israeli Consulate in Istanbul said that “the three Israelis joked around out loud while boarding the plane about explosive devices and the like. The flight attendant who heard them told the captain. He ordered to delay the flight, unload their luggage and check their bags.”
After landing in Israel, the three were taken in for questioning by the police and were later released.
Three Israelis were removed from a Turkish Airlines flight last week and arrested at the Istanbul Atatürk Airport for making jokes aloud about explosive devices and behaving in a generally unruly manner.
“What would happen here if there was an explosion?” the youths joked aloud.
Their flight was consequently delayed for three hours until all of their belongings were unloaded from the plane and their bags checked.
The flight was supposed to depart at 6:20pm, but the three Israeli youths prevented the prompt takeoff with their disorderly behavior.
The Israeli Consulate in Istanbul said that “the three Israelis joked around out loud while boarding the plane about explosive devices and the like. The flight attendant who heard them told the captain. He ordered to delay the flight, unload their luggage and check their bags.”
After landing in Israel, the three were taken in for questioning by the police and were later released.
Investigation into Deri's vacation home finds the land may have been sold to the minister partly in cash and without declaring it to the Tax Authority.
The National Fraud Unit has detained a couple suspected of selling land to Interior Minister and Chairman of Shas Aryeh Deri, who police suspect committed tax offences by failing to report a large some of the money exchanged in the transaction.
Investigators suspect that the land sale contract was not signed in the name of the original owners, and that about half a million shekels were paid in cash and not reported for tax purposes.
Those registered as owners of the land, also known as Safsufa, are Deri's daughter and son-in-law.
Deri then used the land—located in the northern moshav of Kfar Hoshen—to build a vacation home also under scrutiny by the Israel Tax Authority for allegedly being constructed using funds from undeclared assets.
The couple who were detained for questioning claim that they had no part in the deal, despite the fact that their name is also written in the contract.
For the time being, the interrogators have yet to decide what measures to take against the couple and will decide whether to bring them to a hearing about their remand or release.
Deri is currently being investigated as part of a Tax Authority probe into money laundering and false reports about income and assets.
Aside from these allegations, Deri is also suspected of illegally transferring apartments to his brother Shlomo just before his return to politics. His return came nine years after he spent 22 months in prison for taking $155,000 in bribes while serving as Interior Minister.
The National Fraud Unit has detained a couple suspected of selling land to Interior Minister and Chairman of Shas Aryeh Deri, who police suspect committed tax offences by failing to report a large some of the money exchanged in the transaction.
Investigators suspect that the land sale contract was not signed in the name of the original owners, and that about half a million shekels were paid in cash and not reported for tax purposes.
Those registered as owners of the land, also known as Safsufa, are Deri's daughter and son-in-law.
Deri then used the land—located in the northern moshav of Kfar Hoshen—to build a vacation home also under scrutiny by the Israel Tax Authority for allegedly being constructed using funds from undeclared assets.
The couple who were detained for questioning claim that they had no part in the deal, despite the fact that their name is also written in the contract.
For the time being, the interrogators have yet to decide what measures to take against the couple and will decide whether to bring them to a hearing about their remand or release.
Deri is currently being investigated as part of a Tax Authority probe into money laundering and false reports about income and assets.
Aside from these allegations, Deri is also suspected of illegally transferring apartments to his brother Shlomo just before his return to politics. His return came nine years after he spent 22 months in prison for taking $155,000 in bribes while serving as Interior Minister.
One of the main defendants in the Yisrael Beytenu corruption affair, David Godovsky, strikes plea deal to admit to only some charges of receiving bribes, saying he did not pocket the money but rather served as former deputy minister Kirschenbaum's assistant and acted in favor of the party.
Former senior Yisrael Beytenu official David (Daud) Godovsky was convicted Monday of several counts of receiving bribes in the Yisrael Beytenu corruption affair.
Godovsky, who was the right hand of former deputy minister and main defendant in the affair Faina Kirschenbaum and a key figure in the Yisrael Beytenu party, was convicted in a plea bargain by the Tel Aviv District Court.
He was charged with receiving and asking for bribes, extortion and intimidation, conspiracy to commit a crime, money laundering and other tax offenses.
According to the indictment filed against him, Godovsky was Kirschenbaum's main accomplice in planning and carrying out a significant part of her criminal offenses and worked to promote his own personal affairs as well as those of Kirschenbaum and Yisrael Beytenu.
Following negotiations with the State Attorney's Office, he reached an arrangement according to which he would admit to only some of the bribery charges. The two parties agreed Godovsky would state that he did not take any bribes into his own pocket, and that he served as Kirschenbaum's assistant and acted in favor of the party.
But the plea does not detail a punishment, and the decision on it will fall to the court.
Godovsky will likely not be required to testify against Kirschenbaum, who is still on trial and accused of a long list of bribery charges along with other offenses. She denies all allegations against her.
Former senior Yisrael Beytenu official David (Daud) Godovsky was convicted Monday of several counts of receiving bribes in the Yisrael Beytenu corruption affair.
Godovsky, who was the right hand of former deputy minister and main defendant in the affair Faina Kirschenbaum and a key figure in the Yisrael Beytenu party, was convicted in a plea bargain by the Tel Aviv District Court.
He was charged with receiving and asking for bribes, extortion and intimidation, conspiracy to commit a crime, money laundering and other tax offenses.
According to the indictment filed against him, Godovsky was Kirschenbaum's main accomplice in planning and carrying out a significant part of her criminal offenses and worked to promote his own personal affairs as well as those of Kirschenbaum and Yisrael Beytenu.
Following negotiations with the State Attorney's Office, he reached an arrangement according to which he would admit to only some of the bribery charges. The two parties agreed Godovsky would state that he did not take any bribes into his own pocket, and that he served as Kirschenbaum's assistant and acted in favor of the party.
But the plea does not detail a punishment, and the decision on it will fall to the court.
Godovsky will likely not be required to testify against Kirschenbaum, who is still on trial and accused of a long list of bribery charges along with other offenses. She denies all allegations against her.
Between 2001 and 2014, Godovsky was a public servant, employed by the Yisrael Beytenu party.
According to the original indictment, he was trusted, among other things, with the party's contacts with its mayors and council members, as well as with its branch centers and field activists.
He was also in contact with various elements that requested the party's help in receiving state funds. Godovsky, it was argued, acted as a channel between these elements and Kirschenbaum. In some cases, he and Kirschenbaum demanded bribes in the form of a significant portion of the funds received.
The original charges alleged that Godovsky was a key partner in the planning and execution of a significant part of the criminal acts carried out by the Kirschenbaum.
According to the original indictment, he was trusted, among other things, with the party's contacts with its mayors and council members, as well as with its branch centers and field activists.
He was also in contact with various elements that requested the party's help in receiving state funds. Godovsky, it was argued, acted as a channel between these elements and Kirschenbaum. In some cases, he and Kirschenbaum demanded bribes in the form of a significant portion of the funds received.
The original charges alleged that Godovsky was a key partner in the planning and execution of a significant part of the criminal acts carried out by the Kirschenbaum.
Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter after shooting dead a seriously wounded Palestinian terrorist, asked the court to cut his sentence by half and release him immediately; he will instead complete two-thirds of his term before being released in less than two months.
The military parole board decided Monday to cut a third of the sentence given to former soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter after shooting dead a seriously wounded Palestinian terrorist in Hebron.
Azaria, who has served seven of his 14-month sentence, is expected to be released on May 10.
Azaria's sister Etti slammed the decision, saying "There is no reason to be happy, friends, they refused had and tried to pretty it up with the third!!! The third has nothing to do with them!!!!!! Shame, shame, shame that my family has to hear about it through the media!!!"
His cousin Victor was also unhappy with the decision. "The child needs to continue sitting in prison for another month and a half, if not more. The prosecutors are leftists. No trust in anyone in the government. We won't forgive and won't forget this," he wrote on Facebook.
The military court heard Azaria's request for early release last week. "I shot a murderous terrorist, release me today," he told the court.
"The sooner this affair ends, the better it will be for everyone," said Yoram Sheftel, Azaria's attorney. "Azaria has been in a constant and ceaseless nightmare for two years."
The Military Advocate General's Office, which was opposed to cutting Azaria's sentence by half, said it would not object to cutting it by a third.
"Azaria was convicted of a serious offense of manslaughter. The offense was carried out with intention and not out of negligence or
mistake, according to the determination of the court," said prosecutor, Col. Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas. "Throughout the proceedings, the prisoner has not taken responsibility for his actions, nor did he express regret. We haven't heard that today either; and this morning we even heard a certain degree of rejection of the appeal court's ruling. The court determined Azaria's actions could damage the strength of the IDF."
IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot reduced Azaria's sentence by four months in September. “Your conduct was unacceptable and was contrary to the army's command and values of the IDF,” Eisenkot wrote at the time, qualifying the sympathy behind his decision.
The IDF chief further rebuked Azaria for “the fact that you didn’t take responsibility for your actions and that you never expressed regret.”
Last November, President Reuven Rivlin rejected Azaria's pardon request. At the time, Rivlin noted that "taking all considerations into account ... an additional lightening of your sentence would harm the resilience to the Israel Defense Forces and the State of Israel. The values of the Israel Defense Forces, and among them the Purity of Arms, are the core foundation of the strength of the Israel Defense Forces, and have always stood strong for us in the just struggle for our right to a safe, national home, and in the building a robust society."
The military parole board decided Monday to cut a third of the sentence given to former soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter after shooting dead a seriously wounded Palestinian terrorist in Hebron.
Azaria, who has served seven of his 14-month sentence, is expected to be released on May 10.
Azaria's sister Etti slammed the decision, saying "There is no reason to be happy, friends, they refused had and tried to pretty it up with the third!!! The third has nothing to do with them!!!!!! Shame, shame, shame that my family has to hear about it through the media!!!"
His cousin Victor was also unhappy with the decision. "The child needs to continue sitting in prison for another month and a half, if not more. The prosecutors are leftists. No trust in anyone in the government. We won't forgive and won't forget this," he wrote on Facebook.
The military court heard Azaria's request for early release last week. "I shot a murderous terrorist, release me today," he told the court.
"The sooner this affair ends, the better it will be for everyone," said Yoram Sheftel, Azaria's attorney. "Azaria has been in a constant and ceaseless nightmare for two years."
The Military Advocate General's Office, which was opposed to cutting Azaria's sentence by half, said it would not object to cutting it by a third.
"Azaria was convicted of a serious offense of manslaughter. The offense was carried out with intention and not out of negligence or
mistake, according to the determination of the court," said prosecutor, Col. Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas. "Throughout the proceedings, the prisoner has not taken responsibility for his actions, nor did he express regret. We haven't heard that today either; and this morning we even heard a certain degree of rejection of the appeal court's ruling. The court determined Azaria's actions could damage the strength of the IDF."
IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot reduced Azaria's sentence by four months in September. “Your conduct was unacceptable and was contrary to the army's command and values of the IDF,” Eisenkot wrote at the time, qualifying the sympathy behind his decision.
The IDF chief further rebuked Azaria for “the fact that you didn’t take responsibility for your actions and that you never expressed regret.”
Last November, President Reuven Rivlin rejected Azaria's pardon request. At the time, Rivlin noted that "taking all considerations into account ... an additional lightening of your sentence would harm the resilience to the Israel Defense Forces and the State of Israel. The values of the Israel Defense Forces, and among them the Purity of Arms, are the core foundation of the strength of the Israel Defense Forces, and have always stood strong for us in the just struggle for our right to a safe, national home, and in the building a robust society."
12 mar 2018
Meir Turgeman, who chairs municipality's Planning and Construction Committee and has announced his decision to run for mayor, arrested along with a relative of his and four other suspects, including a leading entrepreneur, on suspicions of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, abuse of power and tax offenses.
Police arrested Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Meir Turgeman and five other people Monday morning on suspicions of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, abuse of power and tax offenses.
Turgeman, who chairs the Jerusalem Municipality's Planning and Construction Committee and has announced his decision to run for mayor, was arrested along with a relative of his.
Turgeman is suspected of receiving illicit benefits in exchange for promoting other people's interests. The Rishon LeZion Magistrates' Court extended his remand by three days.
Another suspect is a real estate entrepreneur who has held senior positions in the Israeli economy and was once nominated for the position of Finance Ministry director-general. He has been questioned in previous affairs as well.
Two of the other suspects are the owners of a banquet hall in Jerusalem.
Following the arrests, police conducted searches in the suspects' homes and offices.
The investigation is being conducted by the Israel Police and the Tax Authority and supervised by the Taxation and Economics Division at the Tel Aviv District Attorney's Office, focusing public corruption.
The Jerusalem Municipality has offered the following response: "The Jerusalem Municipality is unfamiliar with the details of the investigation, but will offer its full cooperation to the Israel Police and the law authorities in a bid to reach the truth and eradicate any possible public corruption in an uncompromising manner."
Police arrested Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Meir Turgeman and five other people Monday morning on suspicions of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, abuse of power and tax offenses.
Turgeman, who chairs the Jerusalem Municipality's Planning and Construction Committee and has announced his decision to run for mayor, was arrested along with a relative of his.
Turgeman is suspected of receiving illicit benefits in exchange for promoting other people's interests. The Rishon LeZion Magistrates' Court extended his remand by three days.
Another suspect is a real estate entrepreneur who has held senior positions in the Israeli economy and was once nominated for the position of Finance Ministry director-general. He has been questioned in previous affairs as well.
Two of the other suspects are the owners of a banquet hall in Jerusalem.
Following the arrests, police conducted searches in the suspects' homes and offices.
The investigation is being conducted by the Israel Police and the Tax Authority and supervised by the Taxation and Economics Division at the Tel Aviv District Attorney's Office, focusing public corruption.
The Jerusalem Municipality has offered the following response: "The Jerusalem Municipality is unfamiliar with the details of the investigation, but will offer its full cooperation to the Israel Police and the law authorities in a bid to reach the truth and eradicate any possible public corruption in an uncompromising manner."
Israeli Haaretz newspaper said that an Israeli occupation police detective has been charged with beating a Palestinian minor to force him to confess throwing stones at cars driven by Israeli settlers.
Despite the seriousness of the offense, the so called Israeli Justice Ministry’s department for the investigation of police officers charged the detective with a lesser assault crime.
The incident came to light when a voice recording of an interview-under-duress was found in the police case files given to the suspect’s lawyer. In the recording, detective Yehuda Gigi is heard beating the Palestinian Mohammed Shuqair, who was only 17 years old. The recording was presumably accidental, according to Haaretz.
The lawyers of the boy and a cousin who was arrested with him raised the matter of the assault after listening to the recording, resulting in the complaint to the ministry’s unit for investigations of police.
Despite the gravity of Gigi’s actions, he was charged only with simple assault, which carried a maximum punishment of two years in prison. The detective could have been charged with a number of more serious offenses, including aggravated assault, that could result in prison terms of three or four years. Gigi was not suspended from active duty, either.
According to the charge sheet filed in Rishon Letzion Magistrate’s Court in January, Mohammed Shuqair of Salfit, was arrested in November 2016 along with his cousin on suspicion of throwing stones.
Despite the seriousness of the offense, the so called Israeli Justice Ministry’s department for the investigation of police officers charged the detective with a lesser assault crime.
The incident came to light when a voice recording of an interview-under-duress was found in the police case files given to the suspect’s lawyer. In the recording, detective Yehuda Gigi is heard beating the Palestinian Mohammed Shuqair, who was only 17 years old. The recording was presumably accidental, according to Haaretz.
The lawyers of the boy and a cousin who was arrested with him raised the matter of the assault after listening to the recording, resulting in the complaint to the ministry’s unit for investigations of police.
Despite the gravity of Gigi’s actions, he was charged only with simple assault, which carried a maximum punishment of two years in prison. The detective could have been charged with a number of more serious offenses, including aggravated assault, that could result in prison terms of three or four years. Gigi was not suspended from active duty, either.
According to the charge sheet filed in Rishon Letzion Magistrate’s Court in January, Mohammed Shuqair of Salfit, was arrested in November 2016 along with his cousin on suspicion of throwing stones.
10 mar 2018
Captain Ino Tadesa in court
Captain Ino Tadesa, 29, of Hadera will remanded until Monday by Rishon LeZion Magistrates' Court for alleged drunk driving, hit-and-run accident that claimed the life of a cyclist in his seventies; police representative claims in court Tadesa drove for 2.5km, refused sobriety test; his attorneys counters by claiming he attempted to revive victim.
A 29-year-old IDF officer from Hadera is suspected of being involved Saturday in a hit-and-run accident, as well as of driving while intoxicated. The officer was arrested after allegedly hitting and killing a cyclist in his seventies earlier in the day in the Sharon's Highway 4.
The Rishon LeZion Magistrates' Court remanded late Saturday the officer, revealed to be Captain Ino Tadesa, until Monday. The officer's family were present at the hearing.
The police representative, who sought to extend Tadesa's remand by a further five days, said during the hearing, "The young man was partying throughout the entire evening and night and drove without sleeping a wink. He diverted right to the road's shoulders, hit the cyclist and then didn't stop, driving forward for two and a half kilometers."
Tadesa is suspected of driving while intoxicated, on which the police's representative commented, "The suspect refused to undergo a sobriety test despite being made aware of the ramifications of such a refusal. His breath smelled strongly of alcohol. He was checked at the Meir Hospital several hours later and the results of a lab test have yet to be received."
Attorney Hertzel Hen, who represents Tadesa, who is an army engineer, claimed his client assisted and treated the victim. The police's representative interjected to note he only did so after escaping the scene, and only later returning.
"Police grotesquely over-inflated the charges against my client," Hen said. "This is evidenced by the court's decision to remand him (for a lesser period than the one demanded by police).
"The incident is depressing and sad for us all, but there are a lot of issues that have yet to be resolved. The suspect is the salt of the earth, an engineer by trade who has served in the army for years. He feels awful. He's sad, as is his family. Everything's in pieces.
"He doesn't know how it all happened. Our account states that he drove forward 60 to 100 meters, and then returned to attempt to resuscitate the man along with someone else present at the scene.
"The suspect's hands were bloodied at the scene from his attempts to revive the wounded."
Police initially said Tadesa was also suspected of not providing help, not reporting an accident to the police and diverting from his lane. The driver allegedly carried on driving after hitting the elderly man with the victim's bicycle dragged underneath his car.
He is said to have then made a U-turn at the next junction and carried on driving, until witnesses alerted him to the fact that he had hit the man, at which point he stopped.
Police's suspicions were aroused after the vehicle—and the bicycle underneath it—were found in the southbound lanes and not in the northbound ones, where the accident occurred.
Magen David Adom paramedic David Shusman recounted, "A man was lying unconscious on the side of the road with serious multi-systemic trauma. We performed several medical checks on him but found no signs of life, and were forced to pronounce him dead shortly thereafter."
In another incident Saturday morning, a 65-year-old cyclist was killed after he was injured while riding through the Nir Moshe Forest near Netivot. A Magen David Adom team was rushed to the scene and said he had suffered a head injury, and pronounced him dead when resuscitation attempts failed.
Captain Ino Tadesa, 29, of Hadera will remanded until Monday by Rishon LeZion Magistrates' Court for alleged drunk driving, hit-and-run accident that claimed the life of a cyclist in his seventies; police representative claims in court Tadesa drove for 2.5km, refused sobriety test; his attorneys counters by claiming he attempted to revive victim.
A 29-year-old IDF officer from Hadera is suspected of being involved Saturday in a hit-and-run accident, as well as of driving while intoxicated. The officer was arrested after allegedly hitting and killing a cyclist in his seventies earlier in the day in the Sharon's Highway 4.
The Rishon LeZion Magistrates' Court remanded late Saturday the officer, revealed to be Captain Ino Tadesa, until Monday. The officer's family were present at the hearing.
The police representative, who sought to extend Tadesa's remand by a further five days, said during the hearing, "The young man was partying throughout the entire evening and night and drove without sleeping a wink. He diverted right to the road's shoulders, hit the cyclist and then didn't stop, driving forward for two and a half kilometers."
Tadesa is suspected of driving while intoxicated, on which the police's representative commented, "The suspect refused to undergo a sobriety test despite being made aware of the ramifications of such a refusal. His breath smelled strongly of alcohol. He was checked at the Meir Hospital several hours later and the results of a lab test have yet to be received."
Attorney Hertzel Hen, who represents Tadesa, who is an army engineer, claimed his client assisted and treated the victim. The police's representative interjected to note he only did so after escaping the scene, and only later returning.
"Police grotesquely over-inflated the charges against my client," Hen said. "This is evidenced by the court's decision to remand him (for a lesser period than the one demanded by police).
"The incident is depressing and sad for us all, but there are a lot of issues that have yet to be resolved. The suspect is the salt of the earth, an engineer by trade who has served in the army for years. He feels awful. He's sad, as is his family. Everything's in pieces.
"He doesn't know how it all happened. Our account states that he drove forward 60 to 100 meters, and then returned to attempt to resuscitate the man along with someone else present at the scene.
"The suspect's hands were bloodied at the scene from his attempts to revive the wounded."
Police initially said Tadesa was also suspected of not providing help, not reporting an accident to the police and diverting from his lane. The driver allegedly carried on driving after hitting the elderly man with the victim's bicycle dragged underneath his car.
He is said to have then made a U-turn at the next junction and carried on driving, until witnesses alerted him to the fact that he had hit the man, at which point he stopped.
Police's suspicions were aroused after the vehicle—and the bicycle underneath it—were found in the southbound lanes and not in the northbound ones, where the accident occurred.
Magen David Adom paramedic David Shusman recounted, "A man was lying unconscious on the side of the road with serious multi-systemic trauma. We performed several medical checks on him but found no signs of life, and were forced to pronounce him dead shortly thereafter."
In another incident Saturday morning, a 65-year-old cyclist was killed after he was injured while riding through the Nir Moshe Forest near Netivot. A Magen David Adom team was rushed to the scene and said he had suffered a head injury, and pronounced him dead when resuscitation attempts failed.
21 feb 2018
The Palestinian Authority (PA) forces in the occupied West Bank handed over on Wednesday morning three settlers carrying drugs to the Israeli occupation authorities after they arrested them in al-Khalil province.
Eye-witnesses told a PIC news correspondent that settlers carrying drugs showed up in Abu Ekteila neighborhood, in al-Khalil, before they were spotted by the PA forces and returned to the occupation authorities.
The locals protested the measure and called for taking legal action against the Israeli settlers.
Eye-witnesses told a PIC news correspondent that settlers carrying drugs showed up in Abu Ekteila neighborhood, in al-Khalil, before they were spotted by the PA forces and returned to the occupation authorities.
The locals protested the measure and called for taking legal action against the Israeli settlers.
19 feb 2018
Location of the murder
Alleged murderer faces extradition for crime committed in Ulm, Germany, during a nighttime burglary of a residence; suspects beat man to death, injured his 91-year-old mother, before fleeing to Italy, Israel.
A man, aged 34, was arrested in Ashkelon Monday on suspicion of a murder committed in Ulm, Germany last month. The arrest, executed with the assistance of Interpol, was carried out at the behest of German authorities, which are also asking for the suspect's extradition.
According to German sources, the suspect was involved in two robberies around New Year, one of which culminated in a murder.
In the early morning hours of January 6, 2018, the man and an accomplice he met in prison broke into the Ulm apartment of a 91-year-old woman and her son, aged 59.
The woman's son is said to have awoken during the break-in, and was badly beaten by the burglars due to his resistance. They then dragged him, via the stairs, to another room in the house, where they tied him up and gagged his mouth with tape.
They also attacked the elderly woman, who sustained bruises, took some cash and jewelry and fled the scene.
Despite her condition, the woman managed to call emergency services and the son was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to head wounds and suffocation.
The suspects fled the country to Italy, where they split up. German police asked the public for help in locating the perpetrators.
The accused returned to Israel and was arrested Monday. He will be remanded at the Jerusalem Magistrates' Court Tuesday.
Alleged murderer faces extradition for crime committed in Ulm, Germany, during a nighttime burglary of a residence; suspects beat man to death, injured his 91-year-old mother, before fleeing to Italy, Israel.
A man, aged 34, was arrested in Ashkelon Monday on suspicion of a murder committed in Ulm, Germany last month. The arrest, executed with the assistance of Interpol, was carried out at the behest of German authorities, which are also asking for the suspect's extradition.
According to German sources, the suspect was involved in two robberies around New Year, one of which culminated in a murder.
In the early morning hours of January 6, 2018, the man and an accomplice he met in prison broke into the Ulm apartment of a 91-year-old woman and her son, aged 59.
The woman's son is said to have awoken during the break-in, and was badly beaten by the burglars due to his resistance. They then dragged him, via the stairs, to another room in the house, where they tied him up and gagged his mouth with tape.
They also attacked the elderly woman, who sustained bruises, took some cash and jewelry and fled the scene.
Despite her condition, the woman managed to call emergency services and the son was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to head wounds and suffocation.
The suspects fled the country to Italy, where they split up. German police asked the public for help in locating the perpetrators.
The accused returned to Israel and was arrested Monday. He will be remanded at the Jerusalem Magistrates' Court Tuesday.
The family of a young Palestinian man from occupied Jerusalem has reported, Monday, that their son suffered moderate wounds, last Wednesday, when a group of extremist Israeli colonizers attacked him as he was leaving al-Aqsa Mosque.
Maysoon al-Moghrabi said that her son, Mustafa Ibrahim al-Moghrabi, 20, was attacked by a group of extremist colonizers, just as he, and other worshipers, were leaving the Al-Aqsa Mosque, before he was rushed to a hospital in the city.
The attack left him bleeding and caused a fracture in his nose in addition to fatigue, various cuts and bruises; he was later discharged and sent home after receiving the needed treatment.
On Saturday evening, the police summoned him for interrogation and forced him under house arrest until his court session for today, Monday.
The wounded young man is facing charges that include “assaulting settlers,” although he was attacked by them while leaving the mosque.
Furthermore, the two young men, Osama Halhouli and Mohammad Awad, who provided Mustafa with the urgently needed first aid, were transferred to Haifa under a five-day exclusion order denying them entry to Jerusalem, until a judge deliberates in their case today. Video
Maysoon al-Moghrabi said that her son, Mustafa Ibrahim al-Moghrabi, 20, was attacked by a group of extremist colonizers, just as he, and other worshipers, were leaving the Al-Aqsa Mosque, before he was rushed to a hospital in the city.
The attack left him bleeding and caused a fracture in his nose in addition to fatigue, various cuts and bruises; he was later discharged and sent home after receiving the needed treatment.
On Saturday evening, the police summoned him for interrogation and forced him under house arrest until his court session for today, Monday.
The wounded young man is facing charges that include “assaulting settlers,” although he was attacked by them while leaving the mosque.
Furthermore, the two young men, Osama Halhouli and Mohammad Awad, who provided Mustafa with the urgently needed first aid, were transferred to Haifa under a five-day exclusion order denying them entry to Jerusalem, until a judge deliberates in their case today. Video
5 feb 2018
The Israel Police said Sunday there is sufficient evidence to indict Welfare and Labor Minister Haim Katz and other senior Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) officials on corruption charges.
According to Ynetnew site, Minister Katz, who was questioned by police on several occasions for a total of some 10 hours, is suspected of fraudulently obtaining benefits, fraud and breach of trust and extortion and intimidation. His son, Yair Katz, is suspected of the same offenses.
Katz served as the head of the workers' union at the IAI. Other suspects include current head of the workers' union Ehud Nof, several union members—including the minister's son Yair Katz and close associate Eli Cohen—and Brig. Gen. (res.) Amal Asad, who served as a member of the IAI board of directors.
The others are suspected of fraud and breach of trust and extortion and intimidation, among other things.
"I expected nothing else of the police," Katz said in response to the police recommendation. "It's obvious they can't admit that the massive amount of resources they invested in this bizarre investigation were for naught."
"Anyone who isn't blind and knows what the investigation is about understands there is nothing to this, and there is no basis to these delusional allegations," he continued.
Katz and other senior union members are suspected of abusing their position for their own benefit, according to a statement issued by the police.
Katz allegedly received assistance from union members, and in return helped them receive high-paying jobs both inside the IAI and outside of it.
After being elected into office, Katz allegedly acted against instructions from the attorney general when he intervened in the appointment of the IAI board of directors chairman and interfered in internal issues relating to the IAI's workers' union.
He is also suspected of using IAI resources and employees for his own benefit to the tune of thousands of shekels, while holding public office.
According to Ynetnew site, Minister Katz, who was questioned by police on several occasions for a total of some 10 hours, is suspected of fraudulently obtaining benefits, fraud and breach of trust and extortion and intimidation. His son, Yair Katz, is suspected of the same offenses.
Katz served as the head of the workers' union at the IAI. Other suspects include current head of the workers' union Ehud Nof, several union members—including the minister's son Yair Katz and close associate Eli Cohen—and Brig. Gen. (res.) Amal Asad, who served as a member of the IAI board of directors.
The others are suspected of fraud and breach of trust and extortion and intimidation, among other things.
"I expected nothing else of the police," Katz said in response to the police recommendation. "It's obvious they can't admit that the massive amount of resources they invested in this bizarre investigation were for naught."
"Anyone who isn't blind and knows what the investigation is about understands there is nothing to this, and there is no basis to these delusional allegations," he continued.
Katz and other senior union members are suspected of abusing their position for their own benefit, according to a statement issued by the police.
Katz allegedly received assistance from union members, and in return helped them receive high-paying jobs both inside the IAI and outside of it.
After being elected into office, Katz allegedly acted against instructions from the attorney general when he intervened in the appointment of the IAI board of directors chairman and interfered in internal issues relating to the IAI's workers' union.
He is also suspected of using IAI resources and employees for his own benefit to the tune of thousands of shekels, while holding public office.
22 jan 2018
Maor Malul was killed in broad daylight on the island Ko Samui after being run over, stabbed; Thai police arrest 2 Israelis who fled the scene by boat, then plane to Bangkok; Malul and Bokel were both involved in previous assassination attempts in Israel.
Israeli criminal Maor Malul was assassinated on Sunday on the island of Ko Samui in Thailand, with his attackers running him over with a jeep and then stabbing him multiple times.
Hours later, Thai police arrested two Israelis, Eyal Bokel—brother of Baruch Bokel, who heads a crime syndicate in Netanya—and Dolev Zuarez.
Surveillance cameras at the scene captured the incident as it happened on a busy road near the popular Chaweng Beach.
A Honda CVG can be seen hitting the scooter which Malul and his wife Racheli were riding. Malul immediately got up to help his wife but had to flee as the jeep reversed.
He was hit again, and then a man dressed in black exited the jeep and stabbed him multiple times before climbing back into the vehicle and fleeing the scene.
Thai media reported that the two suspects abandoned their vehicle 3 km from the scene, near Bophut Beach on the northern part of the island, and fled into a wooded area.
An arrest warrant was issued for Bokel and Zuarez, who had meanwhile managed to take a motor boat from Ko Samui to Surat Thani, where they took a Thai Airways flight to Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok. There they were were arrested by Thai immigration police at around 10:30pm.
Malul was taken to "Bangkok Hospital" in Ko Samui, where he succumbed to his wounds. His wife suffered light injuries when she fell off the motor bike and was treated at the hospital.
The Israeli consul in Bangkok, Itai Mizrachi, and the Foreign Ministry's department for Israelis abroad are assisting the families.
In August, 2015, Malul and an accomplice, Ron Shevach, attempted to assassinate Baruch Bokel, a Netanya criminal.
According to an indictment filed against them, Malul and Shevach ambushed Bokel as he headed home on his motorbike. Malul, who was driving a Toyota, accelerated and hit Bokel. Shevach, who was in the back seat, got out of the car with a loaded gun and wearing a mask.
Shevach and Bokel fought over control of the gun, which went off, with a bullet hitting Bokel in his left thigh. Still, Bokel managed to wrestle the gun away and remove Shevach's mask.
Bokel also fired a shot at the road "to make sure the gun worked" in case the two attacked him again, before being taken to the hospital in serious condition.
A few months before that assassination attempt, Avi Malul, the brother of Maor, was shot and killed in Kfar Yona. Bokel's brother was also targeted by an explosive device, which seriously injured him. His Netanya business was also a target of arson.
In a plea bargain, Malul was convicted of assisting in aggravated battery and sentenced to only 20 months in prison. The case was lacking in critical evidence and the prosecutor was concerned the police's methods would be exposed during the trial.
Israeli criminal Maor Malul was assassinated on Sunday on the island of Ko Samui in Thailand, with his attackers running him over with a jeep and then stabbing him multiple times.
Hours later, Thai police arrested two Israelis, Eyal Bokel—brother of Baruch Bokel, who heads a crime syndicate in Netanya—and Dolev Zuarez.
Surveillance cameras at the scene captured the incident as it happened on a busy road near the popular Chaweng Beach.
A Honda CVG can be seen hitting the scooter which Malul and his wife Racheli were riding. Malul immediately got up to help his wife but had to flee as the jeep reversed.
He was hit again, and then a man dressed in black exited the jeep and stabbed him multiple times before climbing back into the vehicle and fleeing the scene.
Thai media reported that the two suspects abandoned their vehicle 3 km from the scene, near Bophut Beach on the northern part of the island, and fled into a wooded area.
An arrest warrant was issued for Bokel and Zuarez, who had meanwhile managed to take a motor boat from Ko Samui to Surat Thani, where they took a Thai Airways flight to Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok. There they were were arrested by Thai immigration police at around 10:30pm.
Malul was taken to "Bangkok Hospital" in Ko Samui, where he succumbed to his wounds. His wife suffered light injuries when she fell off the motor bike and was treated at the hospital.
The Israeli consul in Bangkok, Itai Mizrachi, and the Foreign Ministry's department for Israelis abroad are assisting the families.
In August, 2015, Malul and an accomplice, Ron Shevach, attempted to assassinate Baruch Bokel, a Netanya criminal.
According to an indictment filed against them, Malul and Shevach ambushed Bokel as he headed home on his motorbike. Malul, who was driving a Toyota, accelerated and hit Bokel. Shevach, who was in the back seat, got out of the car with a loaded gun and wearing a mask.
Shevach and Bokel fought over control of the gun, which went off, with a bullet hitting Bokel in his left thigh. Still, Bokel managed to wrestle the gun away and remove Shevach's mask.
Bokel also fired a shot at the road "to make sure the gun worked" in case the two attacked him again, before being taken to the hospital in serious condition.
A few months before that assassination attempt, Avi Malul, the brother of Maor, was shot and killed in Kfar Yona. Bokel's brother was also targeted by an explosive device, which seriously injured him. His Netanya business was also a target of arson.
In a plea bargain, Malul was convicted of assisting in aggravated battery and sentenced to only 20 months in prison. The case was lacking in critical evidence and the prosecutor was concerned the police's methods would be exposed during the trial.
9 jan 2018
An Israeli human rights report has revealed that the majority of Israelis are not convicted of attacks committed against Palestinians or Palestinian property, in the occupied territories.
Israel’s Yesh Din: Volunteers for Human Rights issued a report saying that “From the beginning of 2014 to the end of August 2017, Yesh Din monitored 225 new investigation files.”
“At the time of publication, investigation and prosecutorial bodies had completed the processing of 185 of these investigations. Twenty-one (11.4 per cent) of these investigations resulted in indictments, and 118 (64 per cent) were closed under circumstances attesting to police investigative failure,” it added.
The organization did not reveal the result of the other cases.
Yesh Din listed data suggesting the Israeli authorities’ lenience with Israelis attacking Palestinians.
In this regard, the organization said that it monitored over 1,200 investigations into Israeli attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since 2005.
According to the data, only three per cent of investigations regarding ideologically motivated crime against Palestinians have resulted in a conviction.
In addition, only 8.1 per cent of the investigation files monitored by Yesh Din, during this period (94 of 1,163 concluded files), have led to indictments.
Israel’s Yesh Din: Volunteers for Human Rights issued a report saying that “From the beginning of 2014 to the end of August 2017, Yesh Din monitored 225 new investigation files.”
“At the time of publication, investigation and prosecutorial bodies had completed the processing of 185 of these investigations. Twenty-one (11.4 per cent) of these investigations resulted in indictments, and 118 (64 per cent) were closed under circumstances attesting to police investigative failure,” it added.
The organization did not reveal the result of the other cases.
Yesh Din listed data suggesting the Israeli authorities’ lenience with Israelis attacking Palestinians.
In this regard, the organization said that it monitored over 1,200 investigations into Israeli attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since 2005.
According to the data, only three per cent of investigations regarding ideologically motivated crime against Palestinians have resulted in a conviction.
In addition, only 8.1 per cent of the investigation files monitored by Yesh Din, during this period (94 of 1,163 concluded files), have led to indictments.
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