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Dawabsha family, july 31 2015 burned by settlers |
3 jan 2016
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Amiram Ben-Uliel
An Israeli court, on Sunday morning, indicted two Jewish Israeli extremists suspected in the July arson attack on a Palestinian home which killed a baby and his parents — a case that has been unsolved for months and fueled the current rise of tensions. The arson attack in the West Bank village of Douma killed 18-month-old Ali Dawabsha, while his mother, Riham, and father, Saad, later died of their wounds. Ali’s 4-year-old brother Ahmad survived with third-level injuries. The firebombing, carried out at night while the family slept, sparked soul-searching among Israelis. |
AP said, according to the PNN, that the long-awaited indictment follows months of investigations into a web of Jewish extremists operating in the West Bank. The indictment named Amiram Ben-Uliel, a 21-year-old West Bank settler, as the main suspect in the attack. A minor was charged as an accessory.
Yinon Reuveni, 20, and another minor were charged for other violence against Palestinians. All four were charged with belonging to a terrorist organization.
The indictment said Ben-Uliel admitted to spraying graffiti on the Dawabsha family home and, then, tossing a firebomb through a bedroom window before fleeing the scene. Ben-Uliel’s parents said they believe in his innocence and that he was tortured during interrogation.
But, critics have said that similar, albeit not deadly, attacks have festered for years with little action by the government. And for months, Palestinians watched angrily as the case remained unsolved, intensifying a feeling of skewed justice in the occupied territory, where suspected Palestinian militants are prosecuted under a separate system of military law that gives them few rights. The arson also touched on Palestinian fears of extremist Jewish settlers, who have attacked Palestinian property with impunity.
The Israeli security service (Shin Bet) said Sunday that the suspects admitted to carrying out the Douma attack, claiming it was in retaliation for the killing of an Israeli settler by Palestinians a month earlier.
It said all the suspects were part of a group of extremists that had carried out a series of attacks over the years in a religiously inspired campaign to undermine the government and sow fear among non-Jews.
Nasser Dawabsha, Saad’s brother, said the indictments were not enough.
“It’s clear the Israeli institutions are not serious,” he said. “It’s clear there was an organization behind this crime, even the media knows that. And the government was not serious in preventing it and is not serious in pursuing the killers.”
Jewish extremists have for years vandalized or set fire to Palestinian property, as well as mosques, churches, the offices of dovish Israeli groups and even Israeli military bases. The so-called “price tag” attacks seek to exact a cost for Israeli steps seen as favoring the Palestinians.
The extremists are part of a movement known as the “hilltop youth,” a leaderless group of young people who set up unauthorized outposts, usually clusters of trailers, on West Bank hilltops — land the Palestinians claim for their hoped-for state. A lawyer for one of the suspects says his client gave a forced confession after interrogators deprived him of sleep and tied him upside down by his feet.
The Douma attack was one of the main reasons for the current spark of violence in the occupied West Bank, showing Palestinian frustration by years of unchecked settler violence.
During the past three months, over 140 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, and 22 settlers on the Israeli side.
Yinon Reuveni, 20, and another minor were charged for other violence against Palestinians. All four were charged with belonging to a terrorist organization.
The indictment said Ben-Uliel admitted to spraying graffiti on the Dawabsha family home and, then, tossing a firebomb through a bedroom window before fleeing the scene. Ben-Uliel’s parents said they believe in his innocence and that he was tortured during interrogation.
But, critics have said that similar, albeit not deadly, attacks have festered for years with little action by the government. And for months, Palestinians watched angrily as the case remained unsolved, intensifying a feeling of skewed justice in the occupied territory, where suspected Palestinian militants are prosecuted under a separate system of military law that gives them few rights. The arson also touched on Palestinian fears of extremist Jewish settlers, who have attacked Palestinian property with impunity.
The Israeli security service (Shin Bet) said Sunday that the suspects admitted to carrying out the Douma attack, claiming it was in retaliation for the killing of an Israeli settler by Palestinians a month earlier.
It said all the suspects were part of a group of extremists that had carried out a series of attacks over the years in a religiously inspired campaign to undermine the government and sow fear among non-Jews.
Nasser Dawabsha, Saad’s brother, said the indictments were not enough.
“It’s clear the Israeli institutions are not serious,” he said. “It’s clear there was an organization behind this crime, even the media knows that. And the government was not serious in preventing it and is not serious in pursuing the killers.”
Jewish extremists have for years vandalized or set fire to Palestinian property, as well as mosques, churches, the offices of dovish Israeli groups and even Israeli military bases. The so-called “price tag” attacks seek to exact a cost for Israeli steps seen as favoring the Palestinians.
The extremists are part of a movement known as the “hilltop youth,” a leaderless group of young people who set up unauthorized outposts, usually clusters of trailers, on West Bank hilltops — land the Palestinians claim for their hoped-for state. A lawyer for one of the suspects says his client gave a forced confession after interrogators deprived him of sleep and tied him upside down by his feet.
The Douma attack was one of the main reasons for the current spark of violence in the occupied West Bank, showing Palestinian frustration by years of unchecked settler violence.
During the past three months, over 140 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, and 22 settlers on the Israeli side.
The 21-year-old father from Jerusalem was caught violating an administrative order, and claimed her does not heed the orders of the Zionist court; his wife was also charged with 'price tag' activity in the past.
Amiram Ben-Uliel, 21, from Jerusalem, was charged with the murder of the three members of the Dawabsheh family in Duma, and has confessed to the crime and recounted it to investigators.
Ben-Uliel, married and a father of a baby girl, recently became more observant, and he and his wife are among the followers of Rabbi Eliezer Berland.
Those who know him say he is a close friend of Meir Ettinger, the grandson of Rabbi Meir Kahane, who is considered one of the prominent figures in the "Revolt" group that is behind a series of Jewish terror attacks.
"The investigation here has not been simple, and it is my understanding that the confessions he made were inadmissible," said a former employer of Ben-Uliel. "This is a man who works with his hands, who loves the settlements and the land of Israel. He didn't give me the impression of someone who can commit actions like this."
He was caught in the past violating an administrative order barring him from entering the West Bank, and claimed at the time that he does not heed the orders of the Zionist court.
He was also charged with hindering a public official in the line of duty when he confronted with IDF officers during an evacuation of one of the outposts in the Shiloh area.
Ben-Uliel used to live in the outpost of Geulat Zion. He is known among the "hilltop youth" after spending time in te outposts of Adei Ad, Esh Kodesh and Kida - all in the Shiloh area. He made a living doing odd construction works.
Shortly before his arrest over the Duma arson, Ben-Uliel moved from the West Bank to Jerusalem with his wife and daughter, and started attending a yeshiva, where he became even more observant.
Ben-Uliel's wife, Oriyan, has also taken part in "price tag" activity in the past. She was charged with committing a "price tag" attack with another woman at the village of Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, including vandalizing Palestinian property and spraying graffiti writings.
Amiram Ben-Uliel, 21, from Jerusalem, was charged with the murder of the three members of the Dawabsheh family in Duma, and has confessed to the crime and recounted it to investigators.
Ben-Uliel, married and a father of a baby girl, recently became more observant, and he and his wife are among the followers of Rabbi Eliezer Berland.
Those who know him say he is a close friend of Meir Ettinger, the grandson of Rabbi Meir Kahane, who is considered one of the prominent figures in the "Revolt" group that is behind a series of Jewish terror attacks.
"The investigation here has not been simple, and it is my understanding that the confessions he made were inadmissible," said a former employer of Ben-Uliel. "This is a man who works with his hands, who loves the settlements and the land of Israel. He didn't give me the impression of someone who can commit actions like this."
He was caught in the past violating an administrative order barring him from entering the West Bank, and claimed at the time that he does not heed the orders of the Zionist court.
He was also charged with hindering a public official in the line of duty when he confronted with IDF officers during an evacuation of one of the outposts in the Shiloh area.
Ben-Uliel used to live in the outpost of Geulat Zion. He is known among the "hilltop youth" after spending time in te outposts of Adei Ad, Esh Kodesh and Kida - all in the Shiloh area. He made a living doing odd construction works.
Shortly before his arrest over the Duma arson, Ben-Uliel moved from the West Bank to Jerusalem with his wife and daughter, and started attending a yeshiva, where he became even more observant.
Ben-Uliel's wife, Oriyan, has also taken part in "price tag" activity in the past. She was charged with committing a "price tag" attack with another woman at the village of Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, including vandalizing Palestinian property and spraying graffiti writings.
Ben-Uliel's wife Oriyan
Ben-Uliel's wife, Oriyan, said on Sunday that her husband "went through serious and very grave torture, during which they extracted confessions out of him of things he did not do. I saw how they beat him mercilessly right in front of me, and confiscated cameras so there wouldn't be any proof."
"He felt like he was about to die, they were simply without mercy, while he was screaming they beat him and kept on beating him," she continued.
"This confession is not worth anything because he didn't do it. I know he was home that night. This entire story is lies and political persecution," Oriyan concluded.
Ben-Uliel parents live in the settlement of Karmei Tzur in Gush Etzion, and have not spoken to him since his arrest. His father Reuven is a rabbi at a yeshiva in Karmei Tzur.
In a statement they made on Sunday, his parents said they were "shocked and outraged by the suspicions attributed to our beloved son."
"We believe in our son's innocence, which will come to light at court, and hope that the court is exposed to the serious torture he underwent during the weeks of his interrogation," the parents said.
"The indictment is not the final word on this, but the opening of a Pandora's box by the Shin Bet," said Itamar Ben-Gvir, who represents Ben-Uliel. "I suggest the Shin Bet not to start celebrating too quickly - the Bus 300 affair, the Amos Baranes affair and even the Bar-Noar shooting teach us that there are cases in which the system does everything it can to prove it solved the crime even at the cost of incriminating innocents."
Indictments filed against two Duma arson suspects, gag order lifted
Ben-Uliel's wife, Oriyan, said on Sunday that her husband "went through serious and very grave torture, during which they extracted confessions out of him of things he did not do. I saw how they beat him mercilessly right in front of me, and confiscated cameras so there wouldn't be any proof."
"He felt like he was about to die, they were simply without mercy, while he was screaming they beat him and kept on beating him," she continued.
"This confession is not worth anything because he didn't do it. I know he was home that night. This entire story is lies and political persecution," Oriyan concluded.
Ben-Uliel parents live in the settlement of Karmei Tzur in Gush Etzion, and have not spoken to him since his arrest. His father Reuven is a rabbi at a yeshiva in Karmei Tzur.
In a statement they made on Sunday, his parents said they were "shocked and outraged by the suspicions attributed to our beloved son."
"We believe in our son's innocence, which will come to light at court, and hope that the court is exposed to the serious torture he underwent during the weeks of his interrogation," the parents said.
"The indictment is not the final word on this, but the opening of a Pandora's box by the Shin Bet," said Itamar Ben-Gvir, who represents Ben-Uliel. "I suggest the Shin Bet not to start celebrating too quickly - the Bus 300 affair, the Amos Baranes affair and even the Bar-Noar shooting teach us that there are cases in which the system does everything it can to prove it solved the crime even at the cost of incriminating innocents."
Indictments filed against two Duma arson suspects, gag order lifted
31 dec 2015
A suspect in the deadly arson attack on the Palestinian Dawabsha family is expected to be charged with murder within days, Israeli media reported.
Israeli state prosecutors reportedly notified the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s court on Wednesday that an indictment would be submitted in the following five days, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
The online daily added that charges against “another minor suspect” involved in the attack have yet to be decided.
Investigations into the Dawabsha arson attack have been followed closely by critics who in the past have criticized Israel for allowing Israelis to carrying out attacks on Palestinians and their property with full impunity.
Suspected Israeli extremists affiliated with a Jewish terror organization on July 31 set a Palestinian home ablaze in the West Bank village of Duma, burning alive an 18-month-old. The infant's parents later died from severe burns, leaving 4-year-old Ahmad Dawabsha the only survivor of the attack.
Local witnesses saw two suspects at the scene at the time of the attack, both of whom fled to a nearby settlement after setting the home ablaze.
Several suspects were detained in November however the majority of information on those arrested still remains under a gag order requested by the Israeli police.
Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet came under fire earlier this month from far-right groups alleging that the agency used torture during investigations into the suspects.
Israeli leadership has largely defended the agency, who in the wake of the allegations released a statement warning against the growing influence of Jewish extremist groups over the Israeli government.
Haaretz reported that a suspect in the Dawabsha case taken into custody had been released on house arrest earlier this week after their suspected involvement was dropped.
Israeli police reportedly announced an indictment would be file against him for “assaulting Palestinians.” The 18-year-old suspect reportedly assaulted a Palestinian near the illegal Baladim outpost in the occupied West Bank two years ago.
Israeli settlers carried out well over 300 attacks on Palestinians and their property in 2015, according to documentation by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The oft called “price tag” attacks were labelled as acts of terrorism by the US government in 2013.
The UN reported in September that complaints lodged by Palestinians against settler attacks have a 91 percent chance of being dismissed without effective action, whereas around 95 percent of settler complaints against Palestinians proceed to court.
Israeli state prosecutors reportedly notified the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s court on Wednesday that an indictment would be submitted in the following five days, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
The online daily added that charges against “another minor suspect” involved in the attack have yet to be decided.
Investigations into the Dawabsha arson attack have been followed closely by critics who in the past have criticized Israel for allowing Israelis to carrying out attacks on Palestinians and their property with full impunity.
Suspected Israeli extremists affiliated with a Jewish terror organization on July 31 set a Palestinian home ablaze in the West Bank village of Duma, burning alive an 18-month-old. The infant's parents later died from severe burns, leaving 4-year-old Ahmad Dawabsha the only survivor of the attack.
Local witnesses saw two suspects at the scene at the time of the attack, both of whom fled to a nearby settlement after setting the home ablaze.
Several suspects were detained in November however the majority of information on those arrested still remains under a gag order requested by the Israeli police.
Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet came under fire earlier this month from far-right groups alleging that the agency used torture during investigations into the suspects.
Israeli leadership has largely defended the agency, who in the wake of the allegations released a statement warning against the growing influence of Jewish extremist groups over the Israeli government.
Haaretz reported that a suspect in the Dawabsha case taken into custody had been released on house arrest earlier this week after their suspected involvement was dropped.
Israeli police reportedly announced an indictment would be file against him for “assaulting Palestinians.” The 18-year-old suspect reportedly assaulted a Palestinian near the illegal Baladim outpost in the occupied West Bank two years ago.
Israeli settlers carried out well over 300 attacks on Palestinians and their property in 2015, according to documentation by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The oft called “price tag” attacks were labelled as acts of terrorism by the US government in 2013.
The UN reported in September that complaints lodged by Palestinians against settler attacks have a 91 percent chance of being dismissed without effective action, whereas around 95 percent of settler complaints against Palestinians proceed to court.
The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) on Wednesday censored reports on the latest developments of probes into the arson attack on the Dawabsheh family home in Nablus’s southern village of Duma.
An Israeli police statement banned the mass media from publishing any developments or details related to underway investigations into the crime until January 16.
The Israeli police said any data or hints leaked on the identity of the criminals will be subject to systematic censorship.
Earlier the IOA slapped a one-month-censorship following the perpetration of the crime on July 31. The ban was later renewed for another month.
The Israeli occupation army rolled into Duma, in southern Nablus, some 10 days ago and cordoned off the vicinity of the Dawabsheh family home. A mock-arson attack reenacting the crime on the Dawabsheh family was performed by an Israeli settler.
The IOA claimed that they could not find sufficient proof to charge the suspects with the arson attack and bring them before court.
On July 31, 2015 Israeli price tag gangs torched the Dawabsheh family home, burning 18-month-old Ali to death. His parents, Saad and Reham, breathed their last a few days later after they succumbed to the critical burns they sustained in the attack.
An Israeli police statement banned the mass media from publishing any developments or details related to underway investigations into the crime until January 16.
The Israeli police said any data or hints leaked on the identity of the criminals will be subject to systematic censorship.
Earlier the IOA slapped a one-month-censorship following the perpetration of the crime on July 31. The ban was later renewed for another month.
The Israeli occupation army rolled into Duma, in southern Nablus, some 10 days ago and cordoned off the vicinity of the Dawabsheh family home. A mock-arson attack reenacting the crime on the Dawabsheh family was performed by an Israeli settler.
The IOA claimed that they could not find sufficient proof to charge the suspects with the arson attack and bring them before court.
On July 31, 2015 Israeli price tag gangs torched the Dawabsheh family home, burning 18-month-old Ali to death. His parents, Saad and Reham, breathed their last a few days later after they succumbed to the critical burns they sustained in the attack.
Israeli police have arrested five Israelis involved in a Jerusalem wedding ceremony that incited violence towards Palestinians, Israeli media reported Tuesday.
The groom of the wedding -- reportedly a well-known member of the radical right -- was arrested in addition to an Israeli soldier and two minors, Israeli daily Haaretz said, according to Ma'an.
Israeli police also arrested renowned extremist settler Daniel Pinner from the illegal settlement of Tapuah, who was among a number of others seen dancing with a gun in video footage of the wedding ceremony, Haaretz reported, adding that Pinner’s attorney claimed the gun was a toy.
Israeli police opened an investigation into the wedding last week after video footage aired by Israel’s Channel 10 went viral.
Israeli police spokesperson Luba al-Samri said in a statement at the time that the investigation was opened due to "numerous and serious offenses seen in the video.”
The video shows Israelis present at the wedding dancing and singing songs of revenge while waving knives and guns in the air.
At one point during the ceremony, a masked Israeli youth waves a firebomb while another stabs a photo of Ali Dawabsha, an 18-month-old Palestinian burned alive in an arson attack carried out by Jewish extremists over the summer.
The infant’s parents later died from severe burns, leaving their four-year-old child Ahmad as the sole survivor of the attack.
Controversy over the video erupted as Israel’s right slammed Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet for its investigation into the Dawabsha murders, which has increased internal tensions within the national religious right. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the wedding video showed "the real face of a group that poses danger to Israeli society and security,” days after the Shin Bet warned that Jewish terror organizations were aiming to “violently overthrow” the Israeli government.
The groom of the wedding -- reportedly a well-known member of the radical right -- was arrested in addition to an Israeli soldier and two minors, Israeli daily Haaretz said, according to Ma'an.
Israeli police also arrested renowned extremist settler Daniel Pinner from the illegal settlement of Tapuah, who was among a number of others seen dancing with a gun in video footage of the wedding ceremony, Haaretz reported, adding that Pinner’s attorney claimed the gun was a toy.
Israeli police opened an investigation into the wedding last week after video footage aired by Israel’s Channel 10 went viral.
Israeli police spokesperson Luba al-Samri said in a statement at the time that the investigation was opened due to "numerous and serious offenses seen in the video.”
The video shows Israelis present at the wedding dancing and singing songs of revenge while waving knives and guns in the air.
At one point during the ceremony, a masked Israeli youth waves a firebomb while another stabs a photo of Ali Dawabsha, an 18-month-old Palestinian burned alive in an arson attack carried out by Jewish extremists over the summer.
The infant’s parents later died from severe burns, leaving their four-year-old child Ahmad as the sole survivor of the attack.
Controversy over the video erupted as Israel’s right slammed Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet for its investigation into the Dawabsha murders, which has increased internal tensions within the national religious right. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the wedding video showed "the real face of a group that poses danger to Israeli society and security,” days after the Shin Bet warned that Jewish terror organizations were aiming to “violently overthrow” the Israeli government.
27 dec 2015
In lieu of growing Israeli focus on Jewish extremism, Israel’s Prime Minister on Sunday said that comparing “Arab terror and Jewish terror” was impossible, Israeli media reported.
During a weekly meeting, Benjamin Netanyahu said: "Here we condemn and they [the Palestinians] praise," according to Israeli daily Haaretz.
The PM said that "Jewish terror" was rare, while “Arab terror” frequently took place on a large scale.
Netanyahu stated that while Israeli leadership condemned terror attacks carried out by Jews, the Palestinian Authority “encourages terror and incites.”
The statement comes as ongoing investigations into the murder of three members of the Palestinian Dawabsha family by Jewish extremists as well as video footage released from an Israeli wedding party celebrating violence against Palestinians has been at the epicenter of Israeli public discussion.
Focus on the growing influence of Israeli extremist groups also coincides with a wave of violence that has left nearly 140 Palestinians and 20 Israelis dead since Oct. 1.
The majority of Palestinians were killed while carrying out attacks on Israeli military and civilians. Palestinian leadership has yet to condemn the individual attacks but has criticized Israel for its response to the recent violence.
While condemning the attacks, a UN official earlier this month said: “The injustices associated with an occupation which shows no prospect of ending feed into a perspective -- particularly among the youth -- that they have nothing to lose by sacrificing their lives."
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon on Saturday said that recent cases of Jewish extremism had caused politicians to ignore “seemingly less serious” offenses against Palestinians and their property, in effect supporting the perpetrators, according to Haaretz.
Focus on the cases have put other offenses on the back burner, Yaalon said, including the uprooting of Palestinian olive trees and the burning of Palestinian property by Israeli settlers.
The minister said that encouragement from ministers and members of Knesset for settlement expansion as well as verbal attacks on public figures helped to enable incidents like the Dawabsha murder and incitement, Haaretz reported.
Threat of ‘Jewish terror’
Israel has received criticism from the international community and rights groups in the past regarding government policies that encourage violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
Israeli police earlier this week opened an investigation into the wedding of two right-wing Israelis after a video showed attendees dancing and singing songs about revenge while waving knives and guns in the air.
At one point during the ceremony, a masked Israeli youth waves a firebomb while another stabs a photo of Ali Dawabsha, an 18-month-old Palestinian burned alive in the arson attack that also left his parents dead.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said at the time that the video showed "the real face of a group that poses danger to Israeli society and security,” the daily said.
The suspects in the Dawabsha murder case have yet to be convicted, and Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet has received push-back from right-wing groups over its conduct in the investigation.
The Shin Bet last week warned that the case revealed the growing threat of Jewish terror organizations against the Israeli state as well as regional security.
Israeli settlers regularly carry out attacks on Palestinians and their property, purportedly in revenge for actions taken by Palestinians or the Israeli government against the illegal settlement enterprise.
The attacks -- over 324 of which were carried out in 2014 according to UN documentation -- were labelled as “acts of terrorism” by the US government in 2013.
During a weekly meeting, Benjamin Netanyahu said: "Here we condemn and they [the Palestinians] praise," according to Israeli daily Haaretz.
The PM said that "Jewish terror" was rare, while “Arab terror” frequently took place on a large scale.
Netanyahu stated that while Israeli leadership condemned terror attacks carried out by Jews, the Palestinian Authority “encourages terror and incites.”
The statement comes as ongoing investigations into the murder of three members of the Palestinian Dawabsha family by Jewish extremists as well as video footage released from an Israeli wedding party celebrating violence against Palestinians has been at the epicenter of Israeli public discussion.
Focus on the growing influence of Israeli extremist groups also coincides with a wave of violence that has left nearly 140 Palestinians and 20 Israelis dead since Oct. 1.
The majority of Palestinians were killed while carrying out attacks on Israeli military and civilians. Palestinian leadership has yet to condemn the individual attacks but has criticized Israel for its response to the recent violence.
While condemning the attacks, a UN official earlier this month said: “The injustices associated with an occupation which shows no prospect of ending feed into a perspective -- particularly among the youth -- that they have nothing to lose by sacrificing their lives."
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon on Saturday said that recent cases of Jewish extremism had caused politicians to ignore “seemingly less serious” offenses against Palestinians and their property, in effect supporting the perpetrators, according to Haaretz.
Focus on the cases have put other offenses on the back burner, Yaalon said, including the uprooting of Palestinian olive trees and the burning of Palestinian property by Israeli settlers.
The minister said that encouragement from ministers and members of Knesset for settlement expansion as well as verbal attacks on public figures helped to enable incidents like the Dawabsha murder and incitement, Haaretz reported.
Threat of ‘Jewish terror’
Israel has received criticism from the international community and rights groups in the past regarding government policies that encourage violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
Israeli police earlier this week opened an investigation into the wedding of two right-wing Israelis after a video showed attendees dancing and singing songs about revenge while waving knives and guns in the air.
At one point during the ceremony, a masked Israeli youth waves a firebomb while another stabs a photo of Ali Dawabsha, an 18-month-old Palestinian burned alive in the arson attack that also left his parents dead.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said at the time that the video showed "the real face of a group that poses danger to Israeli society and security,” the daily said.
The suspects in the Dawabsha murder case have yet to be convicted, and Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet has received push-back from right-wing groups over its conduct in the investigation.
The Shin Bet last week warned that the case revealed the growing threat of Jewish terror organizations against the Israeli state as well as regional security.
Israeli settlers regularly carry out attacks on Palestinians and their property, purportedly in revenge for actions taken by Palestinians or the Israeli government against the illegal settlement enterprise.
The attacks -- over 324 of which were carried out in 2014 according to UN documentation -- were labelled as “acts of terrorism” by the US government in 2013.
24 dec 2015
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Israeli Media has released a video showing a wedding celebration, in which a masked Orthodox youth is holding up a firebomb while another is seen stabbing a photo of Ali Dawabsha, the toddler who was killed in a Douma arson attack, this past July.
According to Haaretz, the video was filmed at an Orthodox wedding three weeks ago. The clip, which aired on Channel 10 news Wednesday night, shows that amid classical wedding dancing, guests with ear locks and kippas, skullcaps, danced with guns and knives. One masked youth held up a firebomb. Another is seen stabbing a photo of the Dawabsha toddler, Ali. According to the report, the wedding was of a couple “very well known in |
the radical right.” The couple’s friends who were dancing were described as being friends of the suspects in the Dawabsha murders. IDF-issue rifles and licensed pistols were passed around at the reception from hand to hand, including to children.
Information about the wedding made its way to police, who intend to question those who were careless with their weapons and to revoke their gun licenses.
Information about the wedding made its way to police, who intend to question those who were careless with their weapons and to revoke their gun licenses.
21 dec 2015
The Israeli Supreme Court is to release, on Monday, two Israelis accused of burning the Dawabsha family in the village of Douma, occupied Nablus, four months ago.
Israeli public radio stated, according to Al Ray, that it is expected to release other detainees accused of the crime this evening, provided that they stay under the house arrest.
In the same context, the Israeli Supreme Court considers, this evening, a petition filed by one of the suspects, demanding to allow him meeting with his lawyer.
The Minister of the Israeli army, Moshe Ya'alon, said in a statement last week, "The perpetrators of the crime of Dawabsheh family's arson attack are identified for us, but there is no evidence to bring them to trial or to charge them."
Israeli public radio stated, according to Al Ray, that it is expected to release other detainees accused of the crime this evening, provided that they stay under the house arrest.
In the same context, the Israeli Supreme Court considers, this evening, a petition filed by one of the suspects, demanding to allow him meeting with his lawyer.
The Minister of the Israeli army, Moshe Ya'alon, said in a statement last week, "The perpetrators of the crime of Dawabsheh family's arson attack are identified for us, but there is no evidence to bring them to trial or to charge them."
Meir Ettinger
In July of 2015, two parents and their 18-month-old son were burned to death when a commando threw firebombs at the Dawabsha family’s home in the village of Douma. A four-year-old child survived the attack, but sustained severe injuries.
At least six Israelis were arrested for the attack as “administrative detainees" after the Shin Bet presented intelligence to Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein. Shin Bet requested permission to interrogate the suspects using “special methods.” This is the first time such measures have been directed at Jewish citizens of Israel.
Four of the six known suspects maintain dual-citizenship with Anglo-Saxon countries.
Three suspects with dual citizenship – Meir Ettinger and Mordechai Meyer and Eviatar Slonim – are not accused of direct involvement in the Douma attack, but are accused of parttaking in a violent underground movement known as “the Revolt.”
Slonim is an Australian citizen. The Sunday Morning Herald reported that he a relative of former Knesset member and right-winger Rabbi Moshe Feiglin.
Feiglin recently visited Australia to speak to synagogues in Sydney and Melbourne. Israeli security services allege that Slonim participated in setting fire to a home in the Palestinian town of Khirbet Abu Falah.
Meyer is a U.S. citizen. Shin Bet claims that Mordechai committed arson at Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem.
Ettinger – a U.S. citizen and the grandson of militant Jewish nationalist Rabbi Meir Kahane – allegedly heads an extreme right-wing organization intent on toppling the Israeli government though violent means.
Haaretz reported that there are at least three other Israeli Jews suspected of direct involvement in the Douma killings, but their names are protected by a court-issued gag order.
At least one of these three suspects has dual American-Israeli citizenship. His parents have already spoken with the U.S. State Department and urged them to get involved in his case.
In July of 2015, two parents and their 18-month-old son were burned to death when a commando threw firebombs at the Dawabsha family’s home in the village of Douma. A four-year-old child survived the attack, but sustained severe injuries.
At least six Israelis were arrested for the attack as “administrative detainees" after the Shin Bet presented intelligence to Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein. Shin Bet requested permission to interrogate the suspects using “special methods.” This is the first time such measures have been directed at Jewish citizens of Israel.
Four of the six known suspects maintain dual-citizenship with Anglo-Saxon countries.
Three suspects with dual citizenship – Meir Ettinger and Mordechai Meyer and Eviatar Slonim – are not accused of direct involvement in the Douma attack, but are accused of parttaking in a violent underground movement known as “the Revolt.”
Slonim is an Australian citizen. The Sunday Morning Herald reported that he a relative of former Knesset member and right-winger Rabbi Moshe Feiglin.
Feiglin recently visited Australia to speak to synagogues in Sydney and Melbourne. Israeli security services allege that Slonim participated in setting fire to a home in the Palestinian town of Khirbet Abu Falah.
Meyer is a U.S. citizen. Shin Bet claims that Mordechai committed arson at Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem.
Ettinger – a U.S. citizen and the grandson of militant Jewish nationalist Rabbi Meir Kahane – allegedly heads an extreme right-wing organization intent on toppling the Israeli government though violent means.
Haaretz reported that there are at least three other Israeli Jews suspected of direct involvement in the Douma killings, but their names are protected by a court-issued gag order.
At least one of these three suspects has dual American-Israeli citizenship. His parents have already spoken with the U.S. State Department and urged them to get involved in his case.
