Sunday, May 31, 2020, 19:31 On Sunday, May 31, at the Shomron Military Court, the Military Advocate General filed an indictment against Salah Muhamed Salah Hamed, one of the Palestinian Policemen who opened fire on Jewish worshipers at Kever Yosef (the Joseph’s Tomb compound) in Shechem on April 24, 2011. Ben-Yosef Livnat, Hy”d, was murdered in the shooting.
After the indictment was filed, Rivka Livnat, Ben-Yosef’s mother, demanded that the terrorists who murdered her son be prosecuted to the full extent of the law: “Four of my grandchildren were orphaned nine years ago. The eldest was four years old and the youngest was six months old. They ask me, ‘Where are the terrorists? What has been done with them?’ I have no answer for them. I would like to have an answer, for there to be justice. I would like the children to understand that justice is being served and that the person who murdered their father is being penalized.”
Rivka Livnat; Video credit: Honenu
The indictment attributes to Salah Muhamed, who opened fire on Livnat’s car, the crimes of intentionally causing death collectively with others, attempting to cause death collectively with others and disrupting legal proceedings collectively with others. Salah had been in the protective custody of the Palestinian Authority until recently, which prevented his arrest until early May. Several other Palestinian Policemen who participated in the incident are still under the protection of the Palestinian Authority, and therefore have not yet been arrested.
At the May 31 deliberation, the Military Advocate General requested the extension of Salah Muhamed’s remand until the end of proceedings. At this stage the court has extended his remand for several weeks so that the attorneys for the defense will be able to study the material.
An additional Palestinian Policeman who was a member of the terror cell was convicted of firing a weapon at a person and disrupting investigative and legal proceedings, but exonerated from the crime of murder. The Military Advocate General filed an appeal and demanded that the terrorist be convicted of murder. A deliberation on the appeal took place approximately two years ago, but the judges have not yet made a decision on the matter.
Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher, who is assisting the family and was present at the deliberation: “Today [May 31] an important indictment was filed for the murder of Ben-Yosef Livnat by a terror cell of Palestinian Policemen, who arrived at Kever Yosef, saw worshipers and sprayed their cars with bullets, for no reason other than to murder Jews. We support the Military Advocate General in serving justice and finally putting the murderers in prison for their entire lives. We hope that justice will be served also to the other terrorist who was tried, and is now in the process of an appeal, and that he will be imprisoned for the rest of his life. The same holds true for the remainder of the members of the terror cell, who are currently in the protective custody of the Palestinian Authority.”
Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher; Video credit: Honenu