Last update - 00:00 13/09/2006
Court convicts Israeli couple in attack on Nazareth church
By Eli Ashkenazi, Haaretz Correspondent
The Nazareth District Court on Wednesday convicted an Israeli couple of bombing an historic Nazareth church considered a holy site for Christian pilgrims.
The couple was convicted of detonating an explosive device last March in the historic Church of the Annunciation, leading to riots inside the church and in the surrounding area.
The couple plead guilty by plea bargain to revised charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, arson, reckless behavior and improper conduct in a public place. They were initially indicted also with attempted destruction of property using explosives and threats, a charge with was later thrown out.
The couple's daughter, Odelia, had allegedly entered the church with them, but was not charged due to insufficient evidence linking her to the crime and to the court's contention that she was dragged to the scene by her parents.
"The facts of the indictment remain. The couple arrived at the church ready to build a fortification, equipped with tens of firecrackers, flares, fuses, and 19 gas cans containing flammable materials," the court wrote in a statement.
Defense attorney, Pnina Yanai, said in a statement after the conviction was issued that "the revision of the indictment proves the defense's position. That is, that this incident represents an unfortunate event that occurred in an environment of emotional distress, free of political motivations."
The revision of the indictment emphasizes the gap between "the picture presented by the media and the reality of the situation," Yanai added.