Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., November 25, 2008 Cheshvan 27, 5769 | | Israel Time: 02:38 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate GA 2008 Travel Week's End Anglo File

'Shocked' judge jails Neo-Nazi youths By Ofra Idelman The Tel Aviv District Court has sentenced eight neo-Nazi gang members, who were exposed last year in Petah Tikva, to one to seven years in prison. The gang perpetrated racially motivated attacks on foreign workers, the homeless and Orthodox Jews. Advertisement Judge Zvi Gurfinkel yesterday called the crimes "shocking and horrifying." The gang members, aged 17 to 20, were convicted, among other offenses, of attacking a drug addict near the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv - forcing him to kneel and beg forgiveness for being Jewish - and breaking a beer bottle over the head of a foreign worker. The group videotaped the attacks, interspersing the footage with Nazi salutes, and posted it on the Internet on YouTube and Gormat 18, a Neo-Nazi Web site. The indictment details e-mails between the gang's ringleader, Arik Boniatov and others; The e-mails discussed "action against Arabs," a ceremony for Hitler's birthday and obtaining a copy of "Mein Kampf." The gang members were convicted of conspiracy to commit a crime, racially motivated attacks and incitement. Boniatov was sentenced to seven years in jail; Ilya Bondaranko to five years; Vladimir Nitzaventzov to four years; Kyril Balenkov, Alex Flich and a minor, three years each; and another minor, one year. All were also given an 18-month suspended sentence. One of the minors said at the end of the trial: "I am going to live with this my whole life. My grandmother is a Holocaust survivor. She just doesn't believe it." Another minor said, "Of course, I'm sorry. There's no one in this case who isn't sorry." The court sentenced a third minor to 26 months out of the 30 demanded by the prosecution, after the minor agreed to forgo one-third off his sentence for good behavior, so he can be part of a Prisons Service-Israel Defense Forces project allowing five prisoners who are minors to serve in the army. To be part of the program, he has to be in jail when he is called up, in November 2009. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Spy chain Iran: We smashed espionage network linked to Israel. Poultry dilemma Will U.S. Jews have kosher Turkey this Thanksgiving?

Read & React Yossi Sarid: Is Shas' Rabbi Ovadia Yosef also an ass? Responses: 42 Aide: Ex-IDF chief did not call for Ahmadinejad to be killed Responses: 170 IDF: Retaking Gaza will cost Israel NIS 17 million a day Responses: 127 Report: Gaza militants agree to cease rocket fire if Israel opens crossings Responses: 92 Poll: 70% of Israeli Arab women think slaps are not domestic abuse Responses: 57 More Headlines 22:10 Olmert to Rice: EU, U.S. officials starting to talk with Hamas 02:18 Documents obtained by Haaretz reveal split among Hamas leaders 23:14 Policeman filmed head-butting East Jerusalem residents 01:10 Report: Israel willing to release more prisoners for Shalit 01:09 ANALYSIS / Elections are Gilad Shalit's greatest hope 02:01 Attacks on Israel expected as UN marks Solidarity with Palestinian People Day 02:35 Now you can get the Koran on your cellphone 23:38 Settler leader: Hebron evacuation will be met with force greater than Amona 21:56 Germany pursues arrest of well-known Holocaust denier set free by U.K. court 23:16 Bank of Israel lowers interest rates to record low of 2.5% 16:17 'Scrubs' star Zach Braff falls in love with Tel Aviv 15:42 Iraqi court acquits legislator for making trip to Israel 15:11 Barak: Hezbollah has 42,000 rockets, some can hit Dimona 00:40 Reported cases of domestic abuse among immigrants in Israel at its lowest 23:40 Palestinian meet in Syria highlights refugees' right of return Previous Editions Select Day 24 nov 23 nov 21 nov 20 nov 19 nov 18 nov 17 nov 16 nov 14 nov 13 nov 12 nov 11 nov

Special Offers Advertisement Living in Israel Studying in English Click & Meet our students from all around the world Living in Israel Studying in English Click & Meet our students from all around the world Dan Boutique Jerusalem New Dan Hotel in Jerusalem Young, Fun & Distinctively Dan Book Now Online! Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. Car rental in Israel Shlomo Sixt Receive $15.00 from our low rates. Dial 013 for your long-distance calls and get all your money back US CITIZENS Vote for real change. Request your ballot today! Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Jewish Singles Personal Ads Find the love of your life on JDate.com Israel's Premier Real Estate Website www. israel-property.com Hebrew Summer courses From $39.95 Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved