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A mob swarming the bus where Natan-Zada murdered four Israeli-Arabs in August 2005. (Ancho Gosh / Jini)
Last update - 22:36 15/06/2008
No murder charges for suspects in lynch of Jewish terrorist
By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service
Tags: Lynch, Israel 

The 12 suspects in the death of Jewish terrorist Eden Natan-Zada, who was lynched by an Israeli Arab mob in 2005 will be charged with violent assault rather than murder, it emerged on Sunday.

AWOL Israel Defense Forces soldier Natan-Zada, 19, was killed after murdering four Israeli Arabs on a bus in the northern town of Shfaram in August 2005, days before Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

The suspects were instructed Sunday to appear at a court hearing on July 13, where they will be indicted.
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Hadash chairman MK Mohammed Barakeh, slammed the court's decision to charge the suspects with any sort of crime. "The whole world knows that the citizens of Shfaram were the victims and targets of an abominable massacre," Barakeh said. "I emphasize the need to indict those same military officials that knew of the danger of the terrorist as well those who allowed him a warm home as a army deserter."

Balad MK Jamal Zekhelaka accused the government of blaming Israeli Arabs for their own tragedy." Again they are blaming the victim... the police did not invest the effort to investigate what help that criminal Natan-Zada received, and is harassing those who protected themselves and prevented mass murder. If they do try these people, we won't let it happen quietly. There will be a huge protest."

Until Sunday, it was unclear what move the state would make in connection to the politically charged case, after the state prosecution and attorney general repeatedly delayed making a decision on the issue.

In April, police officers in the Northern Region questioned whether the state prosecutor and attorney general's delayed decision on the lynch was due to a lack of evidence or was political.

A scathing condemnation of the prosecution's decision was issued by Faiza Turki, whose daughters Dina and Hazar were killed in the shooting attack. She said that the Israeli government and the IDF should be the ones to stand trial for allowing Natan-Zada to move around freely.

Turki said that if Natan-Zada was still alive, "Of course they would make him out to be a psychopath and mentally ill, and send him to receive treatment. Since the event itself and up until today we hardly sleep at all at night. The state now is looking to avenge Natan-Zada's blood instead of seeking the real culprits who filled him with hatred in order for him to commit this abominable act."

Natan-Zada was an Israel Defense Forces soldier 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.

His 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 local committee established in the town established in the wake of the attack announced it will hold an emergency meeting at 19:00 Sunday to examine the ramifications of the prosecution's decision. Ahmed Hamdi, chairman of the committee, said that an atmosphere of rage prevails in Shfaram following the "surprising decision."

According to Hamdi, even if the prosecution decides to reduce the gravity of the charges against the suspects, the committee rejects the indictments out of hand.

"We said, and we say again: We are the victim in this incident and will not permit our sons to sit on the bench of the accused. At the meeting we will decide upon a series of protest measures - among others, demonstrations and even a strike in the town and the Arab sector," Hamdi said.


Related articles:
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  • Judge: Suspected killers of Jewish terrorist unlikely to be indicted
  • Seven Shfaram residents arrested for lynch of Jewish terrorist
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      1.   Lie- Natan-Zada was rejected by Tapuach 14:16  |  Knower 15/06/08
      2.   Politically-motivated decision 14:43  |  Sa`aladin 15/06/08
      3.   These men are Heroes 15:10  |  archmangle 15/06/08
      4.   Gee, we`re always picking on those Arabs, eh? 15:17  |  David Teich 15/06/08
      5.   why... 15:27  |  Unity 15/06/08
      6.   Jewish "terrorist" 15:33  |  Mitch S. 15/06/08
      7.   #5 Mitch S. 15:47  |  Sa`aladin 15/06/08
      8.   Not Right 15:54  |  Steve 15/06/08
      9.   MILITANT MILITANT MILITANT 16:00  |  Ari 15/06/08
      10.   Steve - wrong 16:08  |  ChanahS 15/06/08
      11.   Vile beasts murdered him when he was helpless and bound 16:17  |  Alex 15/06/08
      12.   Jewish terrorist 16:17  |  Chris Linthwaite 15/06/08
      13.   ChanahS - Wrong 16:30  |  Thomas 15/06/08
      14.   ChanahS - Wrong 16:31  |  Thomas 15/06/08
      15.   Two Relevant Details Missing... 16:33  |  Mike 15/06/08
      16.   #12 Chris, as always, you conveniently omit important facts 16:35  |  Bob 15/06/08
      17.   this right-winger thinks the state is wrong here 16:38  |  bob 15/06/08
      18.   Just what a murderer deserves! 16:50  |  Neil Golan 15/06/08
      19.   #16 Bob 16:53  |  Chris Linthwaite 15/06/08
      20.   # 12 Linthwaite........if the police had him in custody, 16:54  |  Lynn 15/06/08
      21.   Jews need do the same to Arab terrorists 16:56  |  Genuine Tosefta 15/06/08
      22.   JUSTICE WAS SWIFT! 16:57  |  Jew,Israeli,Soldier! 15/06/08
      23.   bob 16 17:03  |  potobac 15/06/08
      24.   What we need 17:08  |  Paul 15/06/08
      25.   Is VERY different than when an Arab terrorist is killed by Israel 17:20  |  Dan 15/06/08
      26.   #15 caught in the cross fire between 17:35  |  observer 15/06/08
      27.   Potobac from Yesteday 17:48  |  Nur 15/06/08
      28.   nur 27 17:56  |  potobac 15/06/08
      29.   Jewish "terrorist?" & Arab "militant?" You guys for real? 17:59  |  Hypocrisy? 15/06/08
      30.   Potobac 18:07  |  Nur 15/06/08
      31.   #20 Lynn 18:08  |  Chris Linthwaite 15/06/08
      32.   Multiple tragedy... 18:10  |  Esther 15/06/08
      33.   A drunken cardriver who rode into a crowd once 18:12  |  Mark B. 15/06/08
      34.   Potobac 18:14  |  Nur 15/06/08
      35.   Maybe the first time I see the word terrirost on Haaretz 18:18  |  Avi 15/06/08
      36.   Just following orders....sound familiar? 18:34  |  Gilad 15/06/08
      37.   #19, 23 Examples, please 18:51  |  Bob 15/06/08
      38.   Double standards again 19:05  |  Janice 15/06/08
      39.   #5 Unity 19:09  |  Janice 15/06/08
      40.   Easy verdict 19:46  |  David 15/06/08
      41.   Re Gilad #36... not so trite and simple... 20:06  |  Esther 15/06/08
      42.   Janice you are wrong 20:11  |  Paul 15/06/08
      43.   Everyone gets a trial 20:13  |  American Attorney 15/06/08
      44.   Linthwaitianism and Chris`s brand of self-totalitarianism 20:26  |  Joe Sittizen 15/06/08
      45.   #42 Paul you are wrong 20:29  |  Janice 15/06/08
      46.   Linthwaite, why pal terrorist are never tried by pals? 20:31  |  Dan 15/06/08
      47.   why lynched him, 20:37  |  observer 15/06/08
      48.   Wise move.. 20:38  |  Ilan 15/06/08
      49.   nur 34 20:41  |  potobac 15/06/08
      50.   The thing is... 21:02  |  Colin Wright 15/06/08
      51.   Imprison these Arab murderers!!! 21:19  |  Avraham 15/06/08
      52.   murder is murder 21:20  |  Keops 15/06/08
      53.   Correct decision not to charge them w/ murder 21:38  |  Free Gilad Shalit 15/06/08
      54.   Janice, use your brain 22:04  |  Paul 15/06/08
      55.   no charges against the lynchers 22:20  |  Hilda 15/06/08
      56.   Colin Wright is really Wrong 22:30  |  Joe Sittizen 15/06/08
      57.   In Israel 22:41  |  rm 15/06/08
      58.   OH , SO THERE ARE "jewish terrorists" IN THE WORLD TOO 22:49  |  JACKAL 15/06/08
      59.   Outrageous. Can you imagine if they let Jews off so easy??? 23:08  |  Jewish State 15/06/08
      60.   Cans full of worms, and why not to open them 23:18  |  Mark Lincoln 15/06/08
      61.   Very strange how Haaretz "forgets" crucial details 23:23  |  MR 15/06/08
      62.   shame 23:28  |  pepsi 15/06/08
      63.   #10 Channa 23:31  |  Steve 15/06/08
      64.   jackal 23:59  |  pepsi 15/06/08
      65.   beit shean 1974 jews burn arab terrorists 00:01  |  odles 16/06/08
      66.   Yes JACKALSS and we call the terrorists and not heroes, martyrs 00:04  |  Vivre le Difference 16/06/08
      67.   Yes we Jews have our own terrorists 00:04  |  Dr David I. Gross 16/06/08
      68.   #60 "Steve" 00:47  |  MR 16/06/08
      69.   #2 Jew, Israeli, Soldier! You must see... 01:10  |  Maureen Ann 16/06/08
      70.   What about all the other Terrorists in the IDF killing in Gaza 01:38