Monday, June 20, 2022, 10:12 On Monday, June 20, the Natzrat District Court sentenced Nur Aladdin Ibn Tayr Shinawi to 23 years’ imprisonment and imposed payment of 150,000 NIS in compensation on him. Shinawi stabbed Shuva Ben Shushan, then an 18-year-old high school student, nine times in June 2018, and attempted to injure the policemen who pursued him. He 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).
Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher, who is representing Ben Shushan, welcomed the sentence: “On one hand, there is a significant move towards stiffer penalties for terrorists, but it is important to remember that this is still one of the most severe attacks that have occurred. The terrorist stabbed Shuva nine times and then attempted to stab the policemen pursuing him. Therefore we expected the maximum legal penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment. We hope that this shift towards stiffer penalties for terrorists will continue and that the Knesset will pass laws increasing penalties for terrorists.”
Ben Shushan, who has gotten married since the attack, came to a May 2022 penalty hearing accompanied by her husband and Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher, who is representing her. After the hearing, Shuva Ben Shushan said, “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.