Injured student; Photo credit: Honenu
Thursday, January 9, 2020, 17:54 On Thursday, January 9, the Attorney General’s office indicted Nazia Awiwi and Mahmed Khador, the perpetrators of the March 2019 ramming attack in which two pedestrians were injured near the Jaffa Gate, for attempted murder. The bill of indictment describes how the terrorists decided to carry out an attack against Jews, and when they noticed Jews in hareidi clothing, chose them as victims. Initially the police were of the opinion that the incident was a traffic accident, despite unequivocal evidence presented by Honenu.
The announcement released by the Attorney General’s office relates that the terrorists ran over two Jewish pedestrians near the Jaffa Gate, and after one of them was injured, ran over him again. Then the terrorists exited the car. Awiwi, who was holding a knife, attempted to stab the injured victim, but was miraculously repelled by the victim’s leg. Following that, the terrorists beat the victim all over his body and fled in their car after passers-by arrived on the scene.
The terrorists were apprehended immediately after the attack. However they were released within a few hours, after they had given their testimony about what they reported as a traffic accident. One of the victims urgently contacted Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher, who demanded that the police and the Public Security Minister, Gilad Erdan, immediately detain the terrorists and investigate the incident as an attack.
As proof, Honenu transferred to the police evidence and testimonies from eye witnesses, including a conversation in real time which described the incident to the police emergency headquarters. The Merchav David (Old City) Police refused to accept the evidence, released the terrorists who had been detained and closed the case. Approximately ten months after the incident, the GSS announced that they had determined what had happened, and the suspects were detained again.
Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher leveled criticism at the police: “The incident proves how important it is that the authorities listen carefully to crime victims. From this incident we learn that a huge failure almost led to a tragedy. Two terrorists who carried out an attack and intended to murder Jews were released from remand.
“At the time, we turned to the media and to every possible authority, including the Knesset minister who oversees the police, on behalf of the injured victims. Instead of examining our claims, they preferred to denigrate them and invest great efforts in silencing the victims. We wasted no time and located additional witnesses who testified about the attack. When we demanded that the police take their testimonies we encountered a great deal of apathy. This is a bright red ‘warning light’, as obvious as a red sun, demanding that the authorities draw the correct conclusions and immediately change their approach with regards to incidents of attempted murder by Arabs on the streets of Israel.
“We are living among many people who have been incited to and imbued with hate. These things must be taken into account after every deadly incident or attempted murder. Honenu will continue to assist the terror victims throughout the criminal proceedings against the terrorists, so that they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and there will be a deterrence factor, which will prevent the release of the terrorists, which would allow them to complete their murderous intents.”
Honenu would like to inform our readers that Haaretz and Walla! News initiated the demand for the gag order on the case to be lifted and pushed for the demand to be accepted.