26 june 2019
Amiram Ben Uliel in court, June 26, 2019 video
Lawyers for Amiram Ben Uliel say his silence protests partial approval for confession exacted under torture; defendant's mother-in-law says 'Arabs' actually behind arson attack Riham and Saad Dawabshe and their 18-month-old son
The Israeli accused of murdering three members of a Palestinian family in a 2015 arson attack on their home refused Wednesday to testify in his trial.
Amiram Ben Uliel is charged with killing 18-month-old Ali Dawabshe and his parents Riham and Sa'ad when their home in the West Bank village of Duma was firebombed in July 2015. The family's other son, four-year-old Ahmed, suffered major burns over more than half of his body.
According to the indictment, Ben Uliel threw a Molotov cocktail into the parents' bedroom, deliberately intending to cause death. He has also been charged with two counts of attempted murder, arson and conspiracy to commit a crime motivated by racism.
Ben-Uliel, who was 21 at the time of the murders, declined to present his version of events at the trial in Lod District Court.
His lawyer Asher Ohayon of the Honenu organization, which offers legal services to Jews accused of terrorism, told the court that "the decision not to testify is an expression of his sense of injustice… when the court dismissed only part of his confession, even though it was made due to the torture that preceded it."
The head of the panel of judges, Ruth Lorch, asked whether Ben Uliel understood the significance of his refusal to testify, and his defense attorney said that he did.
The refusal by a defendant to testify at a criminal trial could potentially strengthen the evidence against them.
Ben Uliel's other Honenu attorney, Yitzhak Bam, said: "We disagree with the decision to accept parts of the confession. It was made as a result of torture, and I believe that it would be unfair to require the defendant to relate to this confession, which was not made voluntarily but rather out of fear of torture, on the witness stand."
The defendant's mother-in-law testified in court that the Arab assailants were behind the attack on the Dawabshe family, and not Ben Uliel.
"I know that Amiram is not connected to any terrorist incident," she said. "I am convinced to this day that the attack in Duma was carried out by Arabs."
During her own testimony, Ben Uliel's wife Orian told the court that her husband had been with her at the time of the attack.
"We lived in a truck at the time," she said. "It was never the case that Amiram did not return in the evening and left me alone in the house."
"We went to sleep together like every night. When I woke up at 4am I did not know what time it was, I looked at my phone and went back to sleep. At 5am I woke Amiram up, I left the house and told him 'look after the girl'. Any suggestion that he could have gone out at night and come back is utterly absurd. Our door was a makeshift one and very creaky; there was no way he could have gone out without me waking up. "
Ben Uliel's alleged accomplice in the attack, who is unnamed due to the fact that he was a minor at the time, last month signed a plea deal confessing to conspiracy to commit a crime motivated by racism, arson, corruption, racial prejudice, and racially motivated harm. The State Prosecutor's Office is set to request a five-and-a-half year sentence.
Lawyers for Amiram Ben Uliel say his silence protests partial approval for confession exacted under torture; defendant's mother-in-law says 'Arabs' actually behind arson attack Riham and Saad Dawabshe and their 18-month-old son
The Israeli accused of murdering three members of a Palestinian family in a 2015 arson attack on their home refused Wednesday to testify in his trial.
Amiram Ben Uliel is charged with killing 18-month-old Ali Dawabshe and his parents Riham and Sa'ad when their home in the West Bank village of Duma was firebombed in July 2015. The family's other son, four-year-old Ahmed, suffered major burns over more than half of his body.
According to the indictment, Ben Uliel threw a Molotov cocktail into the parents' bedroom, deliberately intending to cause death. He has also been charged with two counts of attempted murder, arson and conspiracy to commit a crime motivated by racism.
Ben-Uliel, who was 21 at the time of the murders, declined to present his version of events at the trial in Lod District Court.
His lawyer Asher Ohayon of the Honenu organization, which offers legal services to Jews accused of terrorism, told the court that "the decision not to testify is an expression of his sense of injustice… when the court dismissed only part of his confession, even though it was made due to the torture that preceded it."
The head of the panel of judges, Ruth Lorch, asked whether Ben Uliel understood the significance of his refusal to testify, and his defense attorney said that he did.
The refusal by a defendant to testify at a criminal trial could potentially strengthen the evidence against them.
Ben Uliel's other Honenu attorney, Yitzhak Bam, said: "We disagree with the decision to accept parts of the confession. It was made as a result of torture, and I believe that it would be unfair to require the defendant to relate to this confession, which was not made voluntarily but rather out of fear of torture, on the witness stand."
The defendant's mother-in-law testified in court that the Arab assailants were behind the attack on the Dawabshe family, and not Ben Uliel.
"I know that Amiram is not connected to any terrorist incident," she said. "I am convinced to this day that the attack in Duma was carried out by Arabs."
During her own testimony, Ben Uliel's wife Orian told the court that her husband had been with her at the time of the attack.
"We lived in a truck at the time," she said. "It was never the case that Amiram did not return in the evening and left me alone in the house."
"We went to sleep together like every night. When I woke up at 4am I did not know what time it was, I looked at my phone and went back to sleep. At 5am I woke Amiram up, I left the house and told him 'look after the girl'. Any suggestion that he could have gone out at night and come back is utterly absurd. Our door was a makeshift one and very creaky; there was no way he could have gone out without me waking up. "
Ben Uliel's alleged accomplice in the attack, who is unnamed due to the fact that he was a minor at the time, last month signed a plea deal confessing to conspiracy to commit a crime motivated by racism, arson, corruption, racial prejudice, and racially motivated harm. The State Prosecutor's Office is set to request a five-and-a-half year sentence.
23 june 2019
The young couple at the helm of the illegal business rented at least 20 apartments across the cities of Ashdod and Bat Yam where they employed women, predominantly from Russia and Ukraine, some of whom had been tricked into leaving their home-country and coming to Israel
An Israeli couple and three other people are accused of running a prostitution ring consisting of women from former Soviet countries, according to an indictment filed against them on Sunday.
Michael Rezec, 31, was allegedly responsible for providing the women with apartments where they would meet with clients. His wife Eugenia and her acquaintance, Olga Prishchapov, were in charge of directing the calls from the clientele to the women they employed. All three are the residents of the southern city of Ashdod.
The couple operated the illegal business across the cities of Ashdod and Bat Yam - both with a large Russian-speaking population - from 2015 until sometime this year. The indictment was filed after several women, who had been brought into Israel by the couple from Russia and Ukraine, complained to the police.
According to the indictment, which was filed by the Tel Aviv District Attorney's Office details the manner in which the ring was operated. It said Rezec rented at least 20 apartments, instructed the women about the terms of their employment, was responsible for collecting the owners’ share of the money and supplied the prostitutes with the needed equipment.
The indictment states the sex workers charged NIS 400 ($110) for 40 minutes of services or NIS 500 ($138) for a full hour. In addition, the women were requested to pose suggestively in their underwear for pictures that were used in order to advertise the business on various websites.
In addition, Rezec is accused of convincing at least six women to leave their home-country by offering them employment as high-paying sex workers in Israel and a place where they can live during their stay.
After the women agreed to travel to Israel, the 31-year-old instructed them on how to behave during airport checks in order not to alert suspicion of Israeli security.
Michael Perry, 31, from the central city of Kfar Saba, is the fourth person named in the indictment. He was responsible, among other things, for taking care of the women immediately after their arrival in the country and integrating them into the existing brothels.
The fifth defendant in the case is 32-year-old Grigory Sokolov, also from Ashdod, who's accused of threatening a real-estate agent who rented the apartments to the Rezec couple between the years of 2016 and 2019.
Sokolov along with Rezec tried to coerce the real estate agent into giving a false police testimony and to retract some of the statements he made during an interrogation. The two apparently told the agent that “he will not survive” if he refuses to comply with their demands.
The couple has also been charged with tax offenses for failing to report some NIS 4,4 million in income to the tax authorities during their time running the illegal ring.
The defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit crime, pimping and pandering, advertising sex services, coercing individuals into prostitution, coercing individuals to leave their home-country for purposes of prostitution, giving false testimony, drug and tax offenses.
An Israeli couple and three other people are accused of running a prostitution ring consisting of women from former Soviet countries, according to an indictment filed against them on Sunday.
Michael Rezec, 31, was allegedly responsible for providing the women with apartments where they would meet with clients. His wife Eugenia and her acquaintance, Olga Prishchapov, were in charge of directing the calls from the clientele to the women they employed. All three are the residents of the southern city of Ashdod.
The couple operated the illegal business across the cities of Ashdod and Bat Yam - both with a large Russian-speaking population - from 2015 until sometime this year. The indictment was filed after several women, who had been brought into Israel by the couple from Russia and Ukraine, complained to the police.
According to the indictment, which was filed by the Tel Aviv District Attorney's Office details the manner in which the ring was operated. It said Rezec rented at least 20 apartments, instructed the women about the terms of their employment, was responsible for collecting the owners’ share of the money and supplied the prostitutes with the needed equipment.
The indictment states the sex workers charged NIS 400 ($110) for 40 minutes of services or NIS 500 ($138) for a full hour. In addition, the women were requested to pose suggestively in their underwear for pictures that were used in order to advertise the business on various websites.
In addition, Rezec is accused of convincing at least six women to leave their home-country by offering them employment as high-paying sex workers in Israel and a place where they can live during their stay.
After the women agreed to travel to Israel, the 31-year-old instructed them on how to behave during airport checks in order not to alert suspicion of Israeli security.
Michael Perry, 31, from the central city of Kfar Saba, is the fourth person named in the indictment. He was responsible, among other things, for taking care of the women immediately after their arrival in the country and integrating them into the existing brothels.
The fifth defendant in the case is 32-year-old Grigory Sokolov, also from Ashdod, who's accused of threatening a real-estate agent who rented the apartments to the Rezec couple between the years of 2016 and 2019.
Sokolov along with Rezec tried to coerce the real estate agent into giving a false police testimony and to retract some of the statements he made during an interrogation. The two apparently told the agent that “he will not survive” if he refuses to comply with their demands.
The couple has also been charged with tax offenses for failing to report some NIS 4,4 million in income to the tax authorities during their time running the illegal ring.
The defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit crime, pimping and pandering, advertising sex services, coercing individuals into prostitution, coercing individuals to leave their home-country for purposes of prostitution, giving false testimony, drug and tax offenses.
17 june 2019
Network of alleged smugglers accused of bringing in as many as one thousand people from Georgia over an extended period, some of whom paid up to $10,000 to gain entry to Israel
Detectives from the Israel Police national crimes unit Lahav 433 on Monday morning arrested six people and detained eight others on suspicion of smuggling hundreds of foreign nationals into Israel.
The detainees are suspected of offenses under the Entry into Israel Law and of offenses related to bribery, fraud and breach of trust and conspiring to commit a crime.
During their investigation, officers were able to trace the members of the network allegedly involved in the smuggling. According to the suspicions, those involved – with varying roles - smuggled Georgian citizens into the country over an extended period of time.
The network allegedly operated from a secret location in Rishon Letzion, and is believed to have brought hundreds of foreign citizens into Israel since 2017, perhaps more than a thousand.
The suspected members of the network include contract workers hired by the Israel Airports Authority. Each member of the network allegedly had his or her own defined role.
The Georgians smuggled into Israel, some of them in order to work in the country, would allegedly pay a representative of the network abroad thousands of dollars, sometimes up to $10,000, to be smuggled in.
The members of the network are believed to have operated in an organized and systematic manner over a period of time, managing to bypass the security mechanisms at Ben-Gurion International Airport and smuggling Georgian nationals into the country without going through passport control as required by law.
Monday's arrests were the culmination of months of investigation by the police in conjunction with the State Prosecutor's Office.
A statement from Israel Police said that they would act "by all means available in order to expose offenses that directly affect the safety of civilians, and to bring perpetrators to justice."
The Israel Airports Authority said: "As part of the activities of the crime prevention unit at Ben-Gurion Airport, foreign nationals were caught trying to circumvent border control.
"The matter was transferred to the security services and the Israel Police. Police activity was coordinated with all aspects of the Airports Authority, including security."
Detectives from the Israel Police national crimes unit Lahav 433 on Monday morning arrested six people and detained eight others on suspicion of smuggling hundreds of foreign nationals into Israel.
The detainees are suspected of offenses under the Entry into Israel Law and of offenses related to bribery, fraud and breach of trust and conspiring to commit a crime.
During their investigation, officers were able to trace the members of the network allegedly involved in the smuggling. According to the suspicions, those involved – with varying roles - smuggled Georgian citizens into the country over an extended period of time.
The network allegedly operated from a secret location in Rishon Letzion, and is believed to have brought hundreds of foreign citizens into Israel since 2017, perhaps more than a thousand.
The suspected members of the network include contract workers hired by the Israel Airports Authority. Each member of the network allegedly had his or her own defined role.
The Georgians smuggled into Israel, some of them in order to work in the country, would allegedly pay a representative of the network abroad thousands of dollars, sometimes up to $10,000, to be smuggled in.
The members of the network are believed to have operated in an organized and systematic manner over a period of time, managing to bypass the security mechanisms at Ben-Gurion International Airport and smuggling Georgian nationals into the country without going through passport control as required by law.
Monday's arrests were the culmination of months of investigation by the police in conjunction with the State Prosecutor's Office.
A statement from Israel Police said that they would act "by all means available in order to expose offenses that directly affect the safety of civilians, and to bring perpetrators to justice."
The Israel Airports Authority said: "As part of the activities of the crime prevention unit at Ben-Gurion Airport, foreign nationals were caught trying to circumvent border control.
"The matter was transferred to the security services and the Israel Police. Police activity was coordinated with all aspects of the Airports Authority, including security."
11 june 2019
In this file picture, an Israeli soldier holds a flag as he smokes a cigarette near the border between the Gaza Strip and occupied territories
A recent report has shed light on a rise in drug abuse among serving Israeli military forces, prompting Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army Aviv Kochavi to order establishment of a special committee to fight the phenomenon.
According to Israeli i24NEWS television news network, Kochavi took the measure in the wake of an increasing number of cases against Israeli soldiers using drugs while in their military bases.
The report added that the number of addicted Israeli soldiers is soaring dramatically despite the fact that strict measures and punitive measures have already been introduced to eradicate the issue.
Among the expected future penalties, the Israeli broadcaster said, are denial of privileges and benefits given to the serving soldiers, reduction or denial of financial grants and educational privileges. They would also be deprived of holidays.
Last September, thirty-five Israeli soldiers and several civilians were arrested on the grounds of drug trafficking and drug abuse.
The soldiers were detained following an investigation by the special investigations unit of the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division.
In February 2018, ten soldiers – four females and six males – were arrested after they were found to be in possession of and using drugs.
The soldiers, who had all been serving at the officers’ training base in the Negev, were held for questioning after an undercover investigation found that they had been buying, selling and using drugs while on base.
According to a survey conducted by the Israel Anti-Drug Authority (IADA), 54% of Israeli soldiers have admitted to using illegal drugs, specifically marijuana, in the year 2017.
The Israeli military adopted a lenient policy against drug use that year, allowing soldiers to avoid court martial and any criminal proceedings.
According to Hebrew-language Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, the policy also allows soldiers to smoke no more than five times a day off-duty and face only internal disciplinary actions if exceeded.
A recent report has shed light on a rise in drug abuse among serving Israeli military forces, prompting Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army Aviv Kochavi to order establishment of a special committee to fight the phenomenon.
According to Israeli i24NEWS television news network, Kochavi took the measure in the wake of an increasing number of cases against Israeli soldiers using drugs while in their military bases.
The report added that the number of addicted Israeli soldiers is soaring dramatically despite the fact that strict measures and punitive measures have already been introduced to eradicate the issue.
Among the expected future penalties, the Israeli broadcaster said, are denial of privileges and benefits given to the serving soldiers, reduction or denial of financial grants and educational privileges. They would also be deprived of holidays.
Last September, thirty-five Israeli soldiers and several civilians were arrested on the grounds of drug trafficking and drug abuse.
The soldiers were detained following an investigation by the special investigations unit of the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division.
In February 2018, ten soldiers – four females and six males – were arrested after they were found to be in possession of and using drugs.
The soldiers, who had all been serving at the officers’ training base in the Negev, were held for questioning after an undercover investigation found that they had been buying, selling and using drugs while on base.
According to a survey conducted by the Israel Anti-Drug Authority (IADA), 54% of Israeli soldiers have admitted to using illegal drugs, specifically marijuana, in the year 2017.
The Israeli military adopted a lenient policy against drug use that year, allowing soldiers to avoid court martial and any criminal proceedings.
According to Hebrew-language Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, the policy also allows soldiers to smoke no more than five times a day off-duty and face only internal disciplinary actions if exceeded.
6 june 2019
An unnamed civil servant was indicted for stealing secret and top secret information and passing it on and will remain in custody for the time being
The Justice Ministry's cyber division filed an indictment, Thursday in Jerusalem District Court, against a civil servant suspected of stealing and passing on secret and top secret information.
The suspect, who was not named, was investigated by the national crimes and corruption unit of the Israel Police.
The civil servant will remain in custody for the time being.
No further information was available.
The Justice Ministry's cyber division filed an indictment, Thursday in Jerusalem District Court, against a civil servant suspected of stealing and passing on secret and top secret information.
The suspect, who was not named, was investigated by the national crimes and corruption unit of the Israel Police.
The civil servant will remain in custody for the time being.
No further information was available.
24 may 2019
Passport photo of Assi Moosh, former Israeli soldier [Elheraldo]
An ex-Israeli soldier wanted in Colombia for heading a child prostitution ring and sex trafficking offences has been arrested in Portugal.
Forty-five-year-old Assi Ben-Mosh – also known as Assi Moosh – was arrested near the Portuguese capital Lisbon on Wednesday during an operation by Spain’s Guardia Civil police force. The Guardia Civil said in a statement that Ben-Mosh is thought to have been hiding on the Spanish island of Ibiza, and then in Barcelona, before eventually being arrested in Portugal this week. It added that Ben-Mosh had been using a fake Israeli ID, the Times of Israel reported yesterday.
Ben-Mosh is wanted by Colombian authorities for running a child prostitution ring in the small fishing village of Taganga, located on the South American country’s Caribbean coast. He, along with a group of ex-Israeli soldiers, reportedly turned the luxury Benjamin Hostel into a “sex and drug den” in which more than 250 underage girls were subjected to sexual exploitation.
The Benjamin Hostel became known to locals as “little Israel”, and acted as a base from which Ben-Mosh ran similar clubs exploiting children in Cartagena, Medellín and the Colombian capital Bogotá. His empire is also thought to have extended to Ecuador, Mexico and Brazil.
In November 2017 Ben-Mosh was deported from Colombia after the authorities labelled him a threat to public order and the security of the state. At the time, local sources reported that he was arrested after arriving at the immigration office in nearby Santa Marta, accompanied by a group of armed men. It was believed he had been trying to obtain Colombian citizenship.
According to Colombia’s national police, Ben-Mosh had raised suspicion after it was discovered that his permits for tourism and hotel operation were obtained through a third party, enabling him to carry out criminal activities undetected for a decade. He was returned to Tel Aviv under escort by immigration officers.
However, in July 2018 Colombian authorities asked Interpol to arrest Ben-Mosh, believing he had continued to manage his illicit operations from afar despite his deportation. The international arrest warrant stated that Ben-Mosh was wanted for drug trafficking, money laundering and trafficking of human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
The call came after three Israelis and 15 others were arrested on suspicion of involvement in sex trafficking in the tourist city of Cartagena. They were arrested from Benjamin Hostel, another establishment of the same name as that run by Ben-Mosh in Taganga.
It is not yet clear whether Ben-Mosh will be extradited to Colombia following his arrest.
An ex-Israeli soldier wanted in Colombia for heading a child prostitution ring and sex trafficking offences has been arrested in Portugal.
Forty-five-year-old Assi Ben-Mosh – also known as Assi Moosh – was arrested near the Portuguese capital Lisbon on Wednesday during an operation by Spain’s Guardia Civil police force. The Guardia Civil said in a statement that Ben-Mosh is thought to have been hiding on the Spanish island of Ibiza, and then in Barcelona, before eventually being arrested in Portugal this week. It added that Ben-Mosh had been using a fake Israeli ID, the Times of Israel reported yesterday.
Ben-Mosh is wanted by Colombian authorities for running a child prostitution ring in the small fishing village of Taganga, located on the South American country’s Caribbean coast. He, along with a group of ex-Israeli soldiers, reportedly turned the luxury Benjamin Hostel into a “sex and drug den” in which more than 250 underage girls were subjected to sexual exploitation.
The Benjamin Hostel became known to locals as “little Israel”, and acted as a base from which Ben-Mosh ran similar clubs exploiting children in Cartagena, Medellín and the Colombian capital Bogotá. His empire is also thought to have extended to Ecuador, Mexico and Brazil.
In November 2017 Ben-Mosh was deported from Colombia after the authorities labelled him a threat to public order and the security of the state. At the time, local sources reported that he was arrested after arriving at the immigration office in nearby Santa Marta, accompanied by a group of armed men. It was believed he had been trying to obtain Colombian citizenship.
According to Colombia’s national police, Ben-Mosh had raised suspicion after it was discovered that his permits for tourism and hotel operation were obtained through a third party, enabling him to carry out criminal activities undetected for a decade. He was returned to Tel Aviv under escort by immigration officers.
However, in July 2018 Colombian authorities asked Interpol to arrest Ben-Mosh, believing he had continued to manage his illicit operations from afar despite his deportation. The international arrest warrant stated that Ben-Mosh was wanted for drug trafficking, money laundering and trafficking of human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
The call came after three Israelis and 15 others were arrested on suspicion of involvement in sex trafficking in the tourist city of Cartagena. They were arrested from Benjamin Hostel, another establishment of the same name as that run by Ben-Mosh in Taganga.
It is not yet clear whether Ben-Mosh will be extradited to Colombia following his arrest.
23 may 2019
This still taken from a YouTube video shows Assi Ben-Mosh (R) on a flight after being expelled from Colombia
A former Israeli soldier wanted by Colombia for sex trafficking, including of minors, has been arrested in Portugal.
Police arrested Assi Moosh, 45, near the Portuguese capital Lisbon on Wednesday while in possession of counterfeit Israeli identity documents, Spain's Guardia Civil police force, which took part in the operation, said in a statement Thursday.
The statement added that Moosh is suspected of having operated a "bunker-like" hotel in Taganga, a Colombian fishing village popular with backpackers where young women and underage girls were sexually exploited.
Colombian authorities deported Moosh, whom local media called "the Devil of Taganga", in 2017, citing a threat threat to public order.
But they recently issued an international arrest warrant for Moosh via Interpol for drug trafficking, money laundering and trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Spanish police suspect Moosh hid for a while on the Spanish holiday island of Ibiza, and then Barcelona before he was arrested in Portugal.
In December Colombian police announced an operation against the sexual exploitation Moosh is suspected of setting. Three Israelis and two Colombians were detained in the sting.
Tourism to Colombia has increased since the government in 2016 signed a peace agreement with leftist rebels.
A former Israeli soldier wanted by Colombia for sex trafficking, including of minors, has been arrested in Portugal.
Police arrested Assi Moosh, 45, near the Portuguese capital Lisbon on Wednesday while in possession of counterfeit Israeli identity documents, Spain's Guardia Civil police force, which took part in the operation, said in a statement Thursday.
The statement added that Moosh is suspected of having operated a "bunker-like" hotel in Taganga, a Colombian fishing village popular with backpackers where young women and underage girls were sexually exploited.
Colombian authorities deported Moosh, whom local media called "the Devil of Taganga", in 2017, citing a threat threat to public order.
But they recently issued an international arrest warrant for Moosh via Interpol for drug trafficking, money laundering and trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Spanish police suspect Moosh hid for a while on the Spanish holiday island of Ibiza, and then Barcelona before he was arrested in Portugal.
In December Colombian police announced an operation against the sexual exploitation Moosh is suspected of setting. Three Israelis and two Colombians were detained in the sting.
Tourism to Colombia has increased since the government in 2016 signed a peace agreement with leftist rebels.
15 may 2019
Amid diplomatic crisis over Holocaust restitution, Marek Magierowski attacked in broad daylight near his embassy by someone shouting 'Polish' at him; assailant arrested shortly after incident
Poland's ambassador to Israel was assaulted in broad daylight on Tuesday afternoon near the Polish embassy in Tel Aviv by an assailant who apparently shouted curse words at the envoy as he struck him.
The attack comes amid the growing diplomatic tension between the two countries, as the former Soviet-backed nation refuses to pay restitution to Holocaust survivors and downplays the county’s involvement in Nazi-orchestrated atrocities.
Marek Magierowski said he was outside the embassy on Soutine Street in Tel Aviv when a man suddenly attacked him and shouted - most likely curse words in Hebrew - at the envoy. The stunned ambassador said all he could understand were the words "Polish, Polish."
Polish officials immediately filed a police complaint, while the envoy also lodged a formal complaint with the Foreign Ministry.
Meron Reuben, the chief of state protocol of the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, asked the Israel Police and the officials responsible for embassy security to prioritize the issue in order to avoid further attacks. The ambassador also said he managed to take a picture of the attacker and his vehicle as he fled.
The perpetrator was arrested by police and brought in for questioning less than an hour after the incident. The Israel Police is now investigating whether the suspect was involved in additional attacks.
The Polish ambassador praised the police for a swift response and effective cooperation throughout the ordeal.
Poland's ambassador to Israel was assaulted in broad daylight on Tuesday afternoon near the Polish embassy in Tel Aviv by an assailant who apparently shouted curse words at the envoy as he struck him.
The attack comes amid the growing diplomatic tension between the two countries, as the former Soviet-backed nation refuses to pay restitution to Holocaust survivors and downplays the county’s involvement in Nazi-orchestrated atrocities.
Marek Magierowski said he was outside the embassy on Soutine Street in Tel Aviv when a man suddenly attacked him and shouted - most likely curse words in Hebrew - at the envoy. The stunned ambassador said all he could understand were the words "Polish, Polish."
Polish officials immediately filed a police complaint, while the envoy also lodged a formal complaint with the Foreign Ministry.
Meron Reuben, the chief of state protocol of the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, asked the Israel Police and the officials responsible for embassy security to prioritize the issue in order to avoid further attacks. The ambassador also said he managed to take a picture of the attacker and his vehicle as he fled.
The perpetrator was arrested by police and brought in for questioning less than an hour after the incident. The Israel Police is now investigating whether the suspect was involved in additional attacks.
The Polish ambassador praised the police for a swift response and effective cooperation throughout the ordeal.
Qaddoura Fares, the head of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) has stated, Tuesday, that the Israeli court that “acquitted the Israeli terrorist, who participated in the firebombing of Dawabsha family home in 2015, killing the father, mother and one of their children, and seriously wounding the only surviving child, is sending a green light to the colonists to commit more crimes against the Palestinian civilians.”
Fares said that, by acquitting the murderer, the Israeli so-called “Legal System,” topped by the “Justice Ministry,” is sending Israeli fanatics clear messages that they can commit horrific crimes against the Palestinian civilians and get away with it.
He added that Israeli courts, and the “Legal System” became the umbrella that shelters criminals from being held accountable for their crimes against the Palestinian people, their homes, lands and even their holy sites.
“The acquittal of this murderer proves, once again, that not only the Israeli police, but all of its departments and ministries, including by the head of the state, the Prime Minister, and its so-called legal system are involved in these ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people,” he said, “There have been hundreds of incidents were soldiers and paramilitary colonialist settlers, have executed Palestinians, burnt their homes and lands, and got away with these crimes unscathed with no accountability for their horrific crimes.”
The official also said that whenever the Israeli courts are looking into cases against Palestinian detainees, who are reportedly involved, or believed to be involved, in attacks against Israeli soldiers and settlers, and without legal proof, the detainees are largely sentenced to multiple life terms, their homes are always demolished and several members of their families are imprisoned.
Fares called on various international legal and human rights groups to intervene, and put an end to the ongoing and escalating Israeli crimes, including the serious violations by Israel’s own “legal system,” and its politicians.
|Israeli Court Rules to Dismiss Confession of Israeli Charged with Burning Palestinian Family to Death|
On July 31st, 2015, extremist Israeli settlers infiltrated the village of Douma, south of Nablus in the northern part of the West Bank, under cover of darkness, to firebomb the Dawabsha’ home, where the family of four were asleep in their beds.
The father Saad, 32, mother Reham, 27, and 18-month-old Ali were burned to death, while 4-year-old Ahmad suffered from 3rd degree burns over most of his body.
Fares said that, by acquitting the murderer, the Israeli so-called “Legal System,” topped by the “Justice Ministry,” is sending Israeli fanatics clear messages that they can commit horrific crimes against the Palestinian civilians and get away with it.
He added that Israeli courts, and the “Legal System” became the umbrella that shelters criminals from being held accountable for their crimes against the Palestinian people, their homes, lands and even their holy sites.
“The acquittal of this murderer proves, once again, that not only the Israeli police, but all of its departments and ministries, including by the head of the state, the Prime Minister, and its so-called legal system are involved in these ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people,” he said, “There have been hundreds of incidents were soldiers and paramilitary colonialist settlers, have executed Palestinians, burnt their homes and lands, and got away with these crimes unscathed with no accountability for their horrific crimes.”
The official also said that whenever the Israeli courts are looking into cases against Palestinian detainees, who are reportedly involved, or believed to be involved, in attacks against Israeli soldiers and settlers, and without legal proof, the detainees are largely sentenced to multiple life terms, their homes are always demolished and several members of their families are imprisoned.
Fares called on various international legal and human rights groups to intervene, and put an end to the ongoing and escalating Israeli crimes, including the serious violations by Israel’s own “legal system,” and its politicians.
|Israeli Court Rules to Dismiss Confession of Israeli Charged with Burning Palestinian Family to Death|
On July 31st, 2015, extremist Israeli settlers infiltrated the village of Douma, south of Nablus in the northern part of the West Bank, under cover of darkness, to firebomb the Dawabsha’ home, where the family of four were asleep in their beds.
The father Saad, 32, mother Reham, 27, and 18-month-old Ali were burned to death, while 4-year-old Ahmad suffered from 3rd degree burns over most of his body.
