Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher; Photo credit: Honenu
Tuesday, November 5, 2024, 12:35 The Haifa District Court sentenced two Arabs to four and seven years’ imprisonment for their part in a terror attack on a Jewish family who lost their way while driving during Operation Guardian of the Walls and entered Zalafa, an Arab village in Wadi Ara. The victims were also awarded NIS 40,000 compensation. Although the attackers were convicted of throwing rocks at a vehicle and racially motivated malicious vehicular vandalism, they were not convicted of committing an act of terror. Other Arabs who took part in the attack were convicted of terror crimes, and two of them were sentenced to seven and eighteen months’ imprisonment. Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher is representing the family.
The indictment states that the Jewish family lost their way, entered the village, and were attacked there by dozens of terrorists throwing rocks. The Arabs blocked the family’s car, climbed on the roof, shattered the windshields, and tried to pull the family from their car. The mother shielded her children from the beating and the rocks with her body. One large rock was thrown directly into her face from point blank range. After a long time, the family were rescued and transported for medical treatment.
Attorney Bleicher: “Even though the Arabs, who took part in a terror attack, were not convicted of terror crimes, the court did sentence them to significant prison terms. This important sentence indicates the need to impose a significant penalty on anyone who takes part in an attempted mob murder of Jews. Unfortunately, other suspects who took part in the attack and were convicted of other crimes received extremely lenient sentences. Their case is currently being appealed at the Supreme Court. We expect the courts to send an unequivocal message that criminal acts will not be tolerated and the trend of stiffening terrorist’s penalties will continue.”