Sunday, April 24, 2022, 14:32 On Sunday, April 24, the Lod District Court handed down a life sentence to Khalil Abed Alhalaq Mahmed Duikat, who murdered Rabbi Shai Ohayon, Hy”d, in a stabbing attack in Petah Tikva in August 2020. In the framework of a plea bargain with the Office of the State Attorney, the terrorist admitted to the murder, and will pay 258,000 NIS in compensation to the Ohayon family.
Members of Rabbi Ohayon’s family were present at the hearing accompanied by Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher. At the beginning of the hearing, the terrorist made a “v” for victory sign with his hands and was removed from the courtroom.
Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher, who is representing the family as victims of terror: “Criminal proceedings alone are an insufficient response to terror. Israel’s leaders must stop the transfer of funds to terror. As long as the State of Israel continues to finance the Palestinian Authority, which directly finances terrorists, it is not fulfilling its basic obligation to Israeli citizens and is facilitating the continued violation of their security. In order to eradicate terror, the terror swamps must be drained, the families of terrorists must be deported, and those who form the environment that supports terror must be penalized.”
In reference to the victory sign, Bleicher said: “Time after time, we see that terrorists continue to smile despite criminal proceedings. It could not be more obvious that there is an urgent need for substantially increasing efforts in the war on terror. Terror must not pay, neither for terrorists nor for their handlers.”
At a penalty hearing in March, Sivan Ohayon, Rabbi Ohayon’s widow, faced the terrorist and demanded that the court do all that was necessary to penalize him to the full extent of the law.
The widow asked the judges to prevent the Palestinian Authority from giving prizes to the terrorist: “I ask the court to severely judge this murderer and the cruel act that he did. I ask the court to do everything that is necessary … so that acts such as this will not be repeated. The moment that you hand down his penalty, the State of Israel will allow him to receive a prize. He and his family will receive benefits and funds [from the PA] that the State of Israel will allow them to receive, and that in effect is a prize for terror. It is important to me that someone else who thinks of taking a life will think twice about what he is risking.”
Duikat interrupted the penalty hearing and Sivan Ohayon’s testimony several times, made derogatory remarks about the murder victim, and also shouted at the court, “You are terrorists. I am not a terrorist.” The judges warned Duikat several times to stop disrupting the hearing.