Monday, May 9, 2022, 13:35 On Monday, May 9, a penalty hearing was held at the Natzrat District Court for Nur Aladdin Ibn Tayr Shinawi, the terrorist who stabbed Shuva Ben Shushan, then an 18-year-old high school student, nine times in June 2018. Shinawi was convicted of the crimes attributed to him in the indictment: attempted murder in an act of terror, preparation for murder in an act of terror, illegal possession of a knife, and illegal entry to Israel (on many occasions). At the penalty hearing, the office of the State Attorney demanded the maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment for attempted murder in an act of terror and additional years for additional crimes. The court’s decision will be announced later.
Shuva Ben Shushan, who has gotten married since the attack, came to the hearing accompanied by her husband and Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher, who is representing her. Bleicher: “We have exited the penalty hearing for the murderous terrorist who attempted to murder Shuva. The terrorist chose as his victim a young woman and stabbed her many times. As the prosecution in the case said: This is not a human being. This is a monster who acted cruelly. Recently, we have encountered a wave of brutal terror attacks across our country. There is a need for the courts to devote all of their resources to deterring terrorists.
“We expect the maximum penalty to be handed down to the terrorist who attempted to murder Shuva, 25 years’ imprisonment for attempted murder, as the law allows, and additional years for the other crimes that he committed. We would like him to be imprisoned for as many years as possible. Every day that the terrorist is in prison is a day that the citizens of Israel have more security.”
Shuva Ben Shushan: “We, thank G-d, continued with our lives. We got married despite the difficulties. It was not easy to come back from such an incident. We truly demand appropriate attention and the maximum penalty for the terrorist who attempted to murder me. He committed an act so despicable that we must not be lenient. We demand that the court protect us and defend our security here in the State [of Israel].”
Nur Aladdin Ibn Tayr Shinawi, a 20-year-old Jenin resident, was illegally staying in Israel. On June 11, 2018, motivated by his hatred of Jews, he decided to murder a religious Jew, one as young as possible, and equipped himself with two knives, a kitchen knife with a 15-cm. blade and a wallpaper knife.
He rode a bus to Afula, got out at the station at which Shuva Ben Shushan was waiting, chose her as his victim, and stabbed her nine times. The terrorist escaped in the direction of Jenin. Despite her severe injuries, Ben Shushan managed to walk to a nearby restaurant, where she said that she had been stabbed, and then collapsed. Passers-by summoned medical assistance, and she was rushed to HaEmek Hospital in serious condition. Her life was in danger.
While the fleeing terrorist was still in Afula, a police car caught up to him. He said the shahada prayer, and then threatened the policemen with the wallpaper knife. One of the policemen shot him in the leg, and they succeeded in detaining him without being injured themselves.
For more details of the attack, please click here.