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Eden Natan-Zada was beaten to death in 2005.
 (Moti Kimche)
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Last update - 07:26 08/06/2009
Shfaram calls strike after 12 charged with lynching Jewish terrorist
By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: israel news, Eden Natan-Zada 

Shfaram is declaring a one-day general strike in response to the state prosecution's decision to indict 12 of the city's residents over the lynching of Jewish gunman Eden Natan-Zada in 2005.

The city council called the strike for Tuesday after consultations with a local panel formed in the wake of the attack.
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MK Mohammed Barakeh told city residents gathered for the discussion that the charges represented a double standard against the Israeli Arab population.

"Police officers and civilians who stopped Palestinian attackers were rewarded with merits, while Shfaram residents who were only defending themselves are being prosecuted. The state and the state prosecutor's office cannot claim to have acted accordinfly," he said.

Shfaram mayor Nahed Khazem said that the strike would not include the city's educational institutions. He said that the council and the committee would appeal to Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to close the case against the Shfaram residents.

Prosecutors on Sunday charged 12 with taking part in the lynching of an AWOL Israel Defense Forces soldier who murdered four Israeli Arabs on a bus in August 2005, days before Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Natan-Zada was beaten to death after unloading his army-issued M-16 assault rifle on fellow passengers.

According to defense attorney Ahmad Raslan, some of the suspects will be charged with attempted murder, assaulting police officers and other offenses, while others will be charged with rioting that led to Natan-Zada's death.


The decision to indict the suspects comes after nearly four years and multiple hearings on whether to do so and on what charges.

"The prosecution believes that, despite Natan-Zada's atrocious actions, the events that led to his death seriously harmed the rule of law," said a statement issued Sunday by prosecutors.

"In a country governed by laws, whoever takes the law into his own hands and harms someone, even if he committed despicable crimes, will be tried by law enforcement."

Hadash chairman MK Mohammed Barakeh on Sunday accused the prosecution of blaming the victims in the case.

"Instead of investigating the terrorist Natan-Zada's associates in order to bring his partners in the slaughter at Shfaram to justice, they decide that the only guilty person is the victim," said Barakeh.

Barakeh called the decision to indict outrageous and foolish, and said that aside from the four fatalities that resulted from Natan-Zada's rampage, there are more than ten victims still alive who carry the trauma of his actions with them.

Shfaram residents on Sunday said they will hold an emergency meeting in the wake of the indictments.

Last year, the court decided the suspects would be charged with violent assault rather than murder, leading to widespread condemnation among Israeli Arab leaders who harshly criticized the court's decision to charge the suspects with any crime.

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  • Police sources: AG's delay in Natan-Zada lynch case due to politics
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      1.   explanation for Obama support 12:00  |  Richie 07/06/09
      2.   There is no responsibility 12:02  |  fritz t. 07/06/09
      3.   What?? 14:01  |  dave 07/06/09
      4.   riiiight, so let me get this right 14:36  |  VIPER 07/06/09
      5.   Was Natan-Zada`s house demolished? 15:41  |  BDS 07/06/09
      6.   Any Jewish lynchers then? 15:56  |  Welshman 07/06/09
      7.   Will Israelis/Settlers who killed Arab terrorists be indicted? 15:59  |  JustMe 07/06/09
      8.   His actions were and are detestable 16:03  |  Lynn 07/06/09
      9.   will idf who armed lunatic be sued,for that matter? 16:09  |  nolessjusti 07/06/09
      10.   Was Natan-Zadfa`s house demolished? 16:12  |  newageblues 07/06/09
      11.   this is one case of quite a few 16:20  |  shlomo kherev 07/06/09
      12.   Mob rule to be squelched 16:23  |  Jacob Blues 07/06/09
      13.   Israeli hypocracy once again 16:32  |  Danalogue 07/06/09
      14.   If following quote had been been standing on its own: 16:43  |  Esther 07/06/09
      15.   They`d never be indicted if they were Jewish. 16:57  |  Michael 07/06/09
      16.   It`s the posters against prosecution who are the clear hypocrites 17:30  |  McQueen 07/06/09
      17.   Is Israel a racist state? 17:30  |  Canadian 07/06/09
      18.   Agree: demolished Natan-Zadfa`s house! 17:38  |  Steve 07/06/09
      19.   War of words when is a terrorists death ever described as MURDER? 17:40  |  jim the mechanic 07/06/09
      20.   They lynched him because Arabs know there is no justice in Israel 17:43  |  JustMe 07/06/09
      21.   Re: they`d never be indicted-Two sides of the coin 17:50  |  Davidson 07/06/09
      22.   Interesting difference 18:08  |  RfaelMoshe 07/06/09
      23.   # 11 Danalogue 18:09  |  Mike B 07/06/09
      24.   to newageblues Never! He is a good jew! 18:10  |  Antonio da Silva 07/06/09
      25.   societal rules 18:17  |  shai margalit 07/06/09
      26.   Valid comparison... 18:37  |  Esther 07/06/09
      27.   "Terrorist" ???? He was a MILITANT or an ACTIVIST 18:38  |  Y. Kreminksy 07/06/09
      28.   Indictments filed 19:30  |  rm 07/06/09
      29.   The 12 should be given medals for killing this terrorist 19:46  |  Uzi Levy 07/06/09
      30.   Interesting, the guy who shot the Arab in the Yeshiva attack 20:07  |  Philip 07/06/09
      31.   this is clear BS 20:31  |  Lev 07/06/09
      32.   You cant spin this 02:29  |  billy jack 08/06/09
      33.   How do we know that Natan-Zada killed anybody? 03:42  |  Gee 08/06/09
      34.   What Haaretz fails to mention - important! 04:35  |  Free Gilad Shalit 08/06/09
      35.   Re: Interesting difference 07:38  |  Oriv 08/06/09
      36.   Gee 09:50  |  Rada 08/06/09
      37.   Double standard racist establishment 12:21  |  GaileeHero 08/06/09
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