During the trial, Ben-David did not take the stand and only gave mumbled answers during the proceedings.
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On a related matter, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) together with the Shin Bet Security Agency raided and shut down a Palestinian radio station overnight in the West Bank city of Hebron, the third such raid in the past month, a military spokesperson told Xinhua. They have not been identified by the court.
An aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said it was “unprecedented” for the court to accept the insanity plea the day of the verdict, rather than during the subsequent appeal. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon has said the suspects were known have not been arrested to protect intelligence sources.
Israeli farmers and wine growers in the West Bank have expressed worry about the impact on their business and some have begun diversifying into markets in Russian Federation and Asia to escape European Union rules.
According to figures in a U.N.-backed report issued in June, 2,251 Palestinians were killed during the hostilities, which included Hamas rockets fired into Israel and shelling into Gaza by Israeli gunners. Since mid-September, 19 Israelis have died in Palestinian attacks, mostly stabbings and shootings.
Much of the recent violence has emanated from Hebron, the largest West Bank city, where hundreds of Israeli settlers live in heavily guarded enclaves surrounded by tens of thousands of Palestinians.
Ben David never attempted to prove his innocence. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
Abu Khdeir’s father, Hussein, complained of Israeli “double standards”, noting that the court had not issued a house demolition order against the convicted Israelis as it often does against Palestinians convicted of attacking Israelis.
Ben David’s attorney Asher Ohayon claimed that his client was not responsible for his actions.
Three defendants, including two minors, confessed to the abduction, bludgeoning and burning of the 16-year-old Arab.
Much of the worldwide community regards the Israeli settlements as illegal because the territories were occupied by Israel in 1967, and they are hence subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands.
The Palestinian attacks have been triggered in part by what the Palestinians fear are Israel’s attempts to change a decades-old religious status quo at the al-Aqsa compound, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount. The Palestinians said the violence is rooted in frustration over a lack of hope for obtaining independence.
Prosecutor Uri Corb said the case was a stain on Israeli society.
“When we try to claim that we are better than our enemies – and I think that we are better than them – we should look at this event as a mirror”, he said.
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Many of the Palestinians killed have been alleged attackers, while others have been shot dead by Israeli security forces during clashes. In July, suspected Jewish arsonists set fire to a home in the West Bank village of Duma, killing a Palestinian toddler and his two parents. Israel charges the popular station for instigating violence against Israelis. Israeli officials have said Mr. Netanyahu is willing to sit down with Mr. Abbas for negotiations.
