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A mob swarming the bus where Natan-Zada murdered four Israeli-Arabs in August 2005. (Ancho Gosh / Jini)
Last update - 16:53 21/06/2007
Judge: Suspected killers of Jewish terrorist unlikely to be indicted
By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent

Acre Magistrates Court Judge Moshe Alter reduced all restrictions placed on the suspected killers of Jewish terrorist Eden Natan-Zada, who was lynched by a mob after murdering four Israeli Arabs on a bus in the northern town of Shfaram in August 2005.

Alter said the prosecution has been holding hearings on indicting the suspects for three months and he believed there has been no progress, and therefore expressed doubt that the suspects would ever be indicted.

Eden Natan-Zada, 19, was an Israel Defense Forces deserter who held extreme right-wing views. He lived on the West Bank settlement of Tapuah where he was in contact with members of the outlawed Kach movement.

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Natan-Zada's shooting attack took place during the lead-up to Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip in August 2005. After he had unloaded his army-issue M-16 assault rifle on fellow passengers on a bus he was beaten to death by the crowd that subsequently gathered.

The lynch suspects have already been released from house arrest, and Alter's decision means that there are no restrictions - such as preventing overseas travel - in place on them at all now.

Attorney Ahmad Raslan, who represents some of the suspects, expressed satisfaction at the decision and called the judge's position courageous.

Raslan said the judge ruled after reviewing a secret police investigation, as opposed to merely relying on the defense's claims.

"The great mountain [of evidence] police tried to present over a year ago ... [with] announcements about indictments can actually be seen as a very small mouse," the attorney said.

Raslan continued: "During this whole period we argued there is no evidence tying the suspects to their alleged acts, and now it appears we were right."

The popular committee formed in Shfaram after the shooting attack also expressed satisfaction.

The committee held a series of protests after the suspects were initially arrested, and during all the court sessions over the question of releasing them but under limiting conditions. It also called for the state to put on trial those who sent Natan-Zada, or didn't consider the possibility of his committing an attack despite very clear indications.

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  1.   Why doesn`t Haaretz react the same with the Barghouti. 12:48  |  David Stoler 21/06/07
  2.   Everybody wins (except Natan-Zadas victims) 13:31  |  Natallie Durson 21/06/07
  3.   He was hancuffed by Israeli police and lynched by an arab mob 13:38  |  Absolute Sweden 21/06/07
  4.   Natan-Zada = NOT Barghouti 13:38  |  Logician 21/06/07
  5.   I`m glad they killed the terrorist 13:46  |  Jacob Zane 21/06/07
  6.   Lack of convictions will lead to unrest 13:48  |  Zaki Moalem 21/06/07
  7.   #1 you are correct 13:49  |  Matt 21/06/07
  8.   Lynchers belong in jail, indefinately 14:14  |  Gili 21/06/07
  9.   #2 Natallie D 14:27  |  itsik 21/06/07
  10.   #6 Zaki Moalem 14:32  |  itsik 21/06/07
  11.   #4 you are correct if... 14:38  |  itsik 21/06/07
  12.   Natan is not e terrorist 14:54  |  Ed 21/06/07
  13.   KHOURY NATAN ZADA WAS NOT A TERRORIST HE WAS NOT IN A GROUP. 14:59  |  Mark Lincoln 21/06/07
  14.   WHY DOES HAARETZ CALL ARAB GUNMEN EVEN WHEN THEY KILL KIDS. 15:03  |  KASSAM KILLS KIDS 21/06/07
  15.   If they hadn`t... 15:05  |  Duderino 21/06/07
  16.   JUDGE MOSHE ALTER MUST STEP DOWN. 15:12  |  OLMERT + KADIMA OUT 21/06/07
  17.   Suspected Natan-Zada killers 15:14  |  Steve 21/06/07
  18.   Natan-Zada killers likely won`t be indicted 15:29  |  bubba 21/06/07
  19.   Haaretz inconsistency...AGAIN 15:59  |  Polybios 21/06/07
  20.   #17 A Sane Assessment 16:00  |  Kate 21/06/07
  21.   Logician - do you mean Gerry Adams? 16:30  |  Ben 21/06/07
  22.   AND THEN THEY SAY ISRAEL IS DISCRIMINATORY 17:32  |  Jake 21/06/07
  23.   #17 Steve 17:38  |  itsik 21/06/07
  24.   Why does Haaretz call Palestinian groups Militants? 17:40  |  Jer 21/06/07
  25.   So, Israel is a country ruled by Arab Shababs 17:50  |  Jake 21/06/07
  26.   Vigilante mobs and justice 17:52  |  Jacob Blues 21/06/07
  27.   Duderino, keep dodging the issue at hand 17:53  |  Jake 21/06/07
  28.   Jew= terrorist, Arab= "militant" or "activist" Haaretz=BS 18:08  |  Aryeh 21/06/07
  29.   A shameful Episode 18:50  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 21/06/07
  30.   Justice is not blind 18:51  |  Esther 21/06/07
  31.   Terrorist? 19:04  |  Nik Miller 21/06/07
  32.   The consequences of poor police work 19:06  |  Mark Lincoln 21/06/07
  33.   If a Jewish lynch mob killed an Arab terrorist, they`d be jailed! 19:56  |  Nannette 21/06/07
  34.   if a Palestinian wpuld shoot dead 4 Israelis... 20:19  |  Daniel van Dalen 21/06/07
  35.   indrajaya, where is Alan Johnston you promised free last Sunday 20:22  |  Genuine Tosefta 21/06/07
  36.   #34 Daniel van Dalen - you didn`t even read the article 20:59  |  Nannette 21/06/07
  37.   Everyone gets a trial 21:05  |  Anti-Lynching 21/06/07
  38.   Zada The Terrorist Got What He Deserved 21:26  |  Fred Farkelsteinman 21/06/07
  39.   LOLerberries 21:32  |  Guy From NYC 21/06/07
  40.   # 6 Zaki 21:42  |  Axel 21/06/07
  41.   They should be punished very severely. They did a great damage to 22:14  |  Andreas 21/06/07
  42.   Esther, the Nazis justified Kritallnacht as "spontaneous wrath" 22:20  |  Jake 21/06/07
  43.   Captain "R" walked up to the wounded girl, 22:32  |  Phillies Wright 21/06/07
  44.   Wow, Haaretz discovered the word "terrorist" 22:33  |  Saifalkufr 21/06/07
  45.   Title of this article Dishonest and Misleading 22:33  |  Joel 21/06/07
  46.   WOW.....HAARETZ FINALLY USES THE WORD TERRORIST..BUT ONLY WHEN 22:46  |  SLAVO 21/06/07
  47.   # 45 Joel 23:14  |  Axel 21/06/07
  48.   For Nanette #33 23:49  |  Esther 21/06/07
  49.   For Mark #13 23:54  |  Esther 21/06/07
  50.   Let Kach dogs lie dead 00:06  |  Hannah 22/06/07
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