David Chai Hasdai; Photo credit: Naomi Hasdai
Monday, August 4, 2025, 13:48 Another prosecution that started with a bang has ended with a whimper. Today (Monday), the Central District Court in Lod fully acquitted David Chai Hasdai, a resident of Givat Ronen, a community in the Shomron, of a charge alleging he was involved in an attack against five women from a Bedouin family who approached the community one year ago. The Bedouin family holds Israeli citizenship.
Hasdai, aged 30, is married and has one child. He was indicted on charges of participating in a racially motivated attack, which is considered an act of terror. Hasdai has been detained for a year, since the incident.
In her decision, Judge Efrat Fink enumerated the many flaws in the investigation, among them the decision by the investigating unit not to put the defendant in an official line-up, but rather to present one photograph to the complainants, the fact that due to a technical failure the formal confrontation between the defendant and the complainants was not documented, the failure to grant the defendant his right to consult with an attorney prior to the formal confrontation, and the telephone conversation concerning the identity of the defendant that was conducted by the investigating unit with three of the complainants.
Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar, who is representing Hasdai, welcomed the decision: “After a year-long legal battle during which the defendant was detained in jail, the court handed down a bold verdict fully acquitting him of the serious charges against him.
“We welcome the verdict. However, the fundamental flaws in the investigation, not to mention the crimes committed by the Israel Police and the GSS, must be studied in great detail. The police did not follow correct procedures in the investigation of this case, which resulted in the mistaken identification of the defendant as the perpetrator. The court completely rejected the charges.”
Honenu Attorney Adi Keidar speaking after the acquittal of David Chai Hasdai (Hebrew);
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