Israeli government files criminal charges against 12 Palestinians for foiling a 2005 massacre

[ 07/06/2009 - 09:58 PM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)--

The Israeli occupation government has decided Sunday to file criminal charges against 12 Palestinian citizens in the 1948-occupied Palestinian lands for thwarting a heinous massacre perpetrated by an Israeli soldier against Palestinian passengers in 2005.

The soldier, Natan Zadeh, opened fire from his M-16 rifle against Palestinian passengers in the Palestinian town of Shafa Amr, killing four Palestinians, including two sisters Hazar Turkey, 23, and Dina Turkey, 21, Nader Hayek, 55, and Michael Bhooth, 56 who were on their way home from work.

Seven Palestinian citizens were able to overpower Zadeh, and to kill him with his rifle, thus saving the lives of tens of Palestinians who could have been killed without that heroic action of the seven Palestinians.

They were identified as Jamil Saffori, Fadi Saffori, Arkan Karbaj, Muneer Zakkot, Numan Bhooth, Basil Kadriyah, and Haitham Harb. Five more Palestinians were also included in the charge sheet over the same incident.

According to the charge sheet, the seven Palestinian obstructed the work of an Israeli officer, and attacked Israeli policemen with the intent to kill them. The Palestinians shrugged off the "fabricated" charges.

12 Palestinians charged for lynching 'Jewish terrorist'

Date: 07 / 06 / 2009  Time:  13:32
Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies -

Israel charged 12 Palestinian citizens of Israel for the 2005 lynching death of an Israeli who murdered four Palestinians.

Dubbed a "Jewish terrorist" by then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Israeli soldier Eden Natan-Zada shot dead four Palestinians and injured 22 others when he opened fire on a bus in Shfaram, northern Israel, in protest of the country's withdrawal from Gaza.

As Natan-Zada paused to unload his army-issued M-16, surviving passengers on the bus beat him to death.

"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 from Israeli 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."

The Palestinians allegedly involved in the incident are to be charged with attempted murder, assaulting police and rioting, according to defense lawyer Ahmad Raslan, who said the Haifa court eventually dropped murder charges.

Meanwhile, Israel's leftist Hadash Party chairman and Knesset Member Mohammed Barakeh condemned the charges, saying that prosecuters are blaming the victims rather than the perpetrator.

"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," Barakeh said, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Natan-Zada was an adherent of the Kahane Chai movement that advocates for the expulsion of indigenous Palestinians from what it calls the "Land of Israel," which includes the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The movement is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and Israel.