Please click here for a list of posts relating to cases in which Honenu provided legal counsel to victims of antisemitic attacks in Jerusalem.
Arson damage; Photo courtesy of the family
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 10:11 The Supreme Court accepted an appeal by the State Attorney’s office and increased the sentences of Bilal Jabari and Muataz Haj Mahmud, two of the terrorists who were convicted of an arson attack that took place in February 2022 on the house and car belonging to the Yoshvaev family in the Shimon HaTzadik neighborhood of Jerusalem. Jabari’s sentence was increased from five to six years’ imprisonment, and Mahmud’s sentence was increased from four to five years’ imprisonment. Two additional terrorists who took part in the attack, an adult and a minor, were sentenced to six months’ and two and a half years’ imprisonment, respectively.
Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher, who is representing the family, issued a statement after the ruling: “We thank the court for this important ruling. This past year, we have learned that terror must be uncompromisingly and decisively fought until it is destroyed. This is the only way to beat terror and bring security to Israel. We hope that stiffening conditions and increasing penalties for terrorists will lead to a reduction in offenses. This trend must continue with the aim of deterring potential terrorists from committing acts of terror.”
In February 2022 several terrorists hurled Molotov cocktails at the home of the Yoshvaev family in the Shimon HaTzadik neighborhood of Jerusalem. The flames set fire to the home, the fire being particularly fierce in the children’s bedroom. Fortunately, the family was not at home at the time. For this incident and other attacks on the family’s house, Haj Mahmud and Jabari were indicted for arson, weapon production, carrying a weapon, racially and maliciously motivated damage, attempted arson as an act of terror, aggravated assault as an act of terror, and operating a weapon as an act of terror.
Since Operation Guardian of the Walls, the Yoshvaev family has suffered close to 20 acts of terror including fireworks shot from point-blank range at their sukka while Tal was sleeping in it, nine vehicular arson attacks, two Molotov cocktails thrown at their house, an array of fireworks launched at their yard, and many bottles of paint thrown at their car. For more details, see here and here. In February 2022, the police closed off the home of the Yoshvaev family to guests and visitors, including workers who were needed to repair arson damage. The barriers were removed one month later in light of a petition to the High Court of Justice.