Eden Natan-Zada

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Eden Natan-Zada
Eden Natan-Zada
Born(1986-07-09)9 July 1986
Israel
Died4 August 2005(2005-08-04) (aged 19)
Shefa-Amr, Israel
Cause of deathLynching
Details
Date4 August 2005; 18 years ago (2005-08-04)
Location(s)Shefa-Amr, Israel
Killed4
Injured12
WeaponsM16 rifle

Eden Natan-Zada (

disengagement plan, since an orange ribbon was found attached to Natan-Zada's pocket (orange was an emblem color of anti-disengagement activism).[4]

No group had taken credit for the terror attack and one official in the settler movement denounced it. Natan-Zada was absent without leave and in hiding from the IDF at the time of the shooting.[5] He had recently become religious after getting involved with far-right activists.[6]

Early life

Natan-Zada was born to an Israeli Jewish family that had immigrated to Israel from

Kahane Chai
in 1990," but supporters deny the existence of a Kahane headquarters.

In a letter left behind after his desertion, Natan-Zada expressed dismay to his parents over the disengagement plan, saying "Just as I couldn't carry out an order that desecrates the Sabbath, I cannot be part of an organization that expels Jews."[10] He added the anti-pullout slogan "Jews don't expel Jews" to his letter, and concluded the message with the words: "I will consider how I will continue to serve."

His mother claims that prior to the shooting she alerted the IDF and other security services that her son was still in possession of his military-issued weapon. "We told everyone he's AWOL, that he could do something with his gun. We begged them to take away his gun. He also asked them to take his gun. The army destroyed my child. The army destroyed my life." According to The New Republic, an army psychiatrist warned that he wasn't fit for weapons or uniform, but his professional judgment was awaiting approval by a panel of medical experts. A "former chief of staff of the IDF" had reportedly "speculated that the killer's parents might have a chance to win damages in court for neglect by the army of the welfare of their son."[11]

Shefa-Amr attack

2005 Shefa-Amr attack
the memorial to the victims of the 2005 Shefa-Amr attack
LocationShefa-Amr, Israel
Date4 August 2005
Attack type
Shooting attack
Deaths5 (including the perpetrator)
Injured12
PerpetratorsEden Natan-Zada

Natan-Zada boarded the

Shefa-'Amr's primary Druze neighborhood, Natan-Zada stood up and approached the front door as if to disembark the bus. When the door opened, Natan-Zada turned around and shot the driver. He then fatally shot a man sitting behind the driver, and fired into the rest of the bus, killing two young women and wounding twenty-one passengers. When he paused to reload his weapon, a passenger grabbed the barrel of his gun, sustaining burn injuries, and he was subdued by streetgoers gathered around the scene of the bus shooting. When the police arrived at the scene he was tied up but still alive, but the small force of police officers on the scene could not prevent the crowd from lynching him, and nine police officers were injured attempting to protect him.[13] It took the police four hours to remove his body from the scene.[14]

The four victims were Hazar Turki and Dina Turki, two sisters in their early twenties, and two men, Michel Bahus (the driver) and Nader Hayek; all were Arab citizens of Israel. The wounded were rushed to

Rambam Medical Center in Haifa.[13] In the days after the attack, 40,000[citation needed
] people attended a funeral service in honor of the victims in the town. The two sisters were buried in an Islamic cemetery, and the two men in the local Christian cemetery.

Suspicion that authorities were aware of Natan-Zada's intentions

In March 2010, a lawyer representing some of the lynch suspects discovered security forces aerial footage of the scene prior to, during and after Natan-Zada's attack and after the lynching of Natan-Zada and accused the Israeli government of prior knowledge of Natan-Zada's intentions.[15] At the time, the police denied it had aerial support and some have claimed a conspiracy theory that the government was trying to delegitimize the anti-disengagement movement by provoking an extremist act or setting up Natan-Zada.

Reactions

Then

suicide bombers.[16]

While the Israeli government and US Department of State both consider groups based on Kahanism to be terrorist organizations, Kahanist advocates insist their ideology only advocates the forced removal of Arabs from the Land of Israel, not murder.

Investigation and trial

The Israel Police opened a criminal investigation into Zada's lynching.

The

Shefa-'Amr
's security officer, Jamal Aliam, told Army Radio that Zada had been attacked by dozens of people after he had been handcuffed and subdued by police.

Eventually, on 13 June 2006, five suspects in the lynching were arrested, one who was already serving a prison sentence was brought in for questioning, and a seventh suspect turned himself in after learning he was wanted by police. The police said: "We're responsible for maintaining the law, and you can't take the law into your own hands even when it concerns a terrorist who murdered innocent people, even though he made a heinous terrorist act".[17][18] Two suspects were subsequently released. There was general support for their arrest and even left-wing activist Yossi Beilin said: "Israel can't put up with a lynch made on a handcuffed person even if his actions are heinous and unforgivable. It's a combined interest of both Jews and Arabs that Israel won't close its eyes to such behaviour". The Arab Knesset members however demanded their release and called their arrest a crime.[19]

On 7 June 2009, twelve Arab citizens were indicted over the lynching in the Haifa District Court. Seven were charged with attempted murder.[20] In March 2010, Maher Talhami, their defense lawyer, stated that recently discovered aerial footage of the bus, recorded by an Israeli drone before, during and after the attack took place indicates that Israeli defense officials were aware of Natan-Zada's intentions.[21]

In July 2013, the seven defendants charged with attempted murder were acquitted of that charge, but four were convicted of attempted manslaughter and two were convicted of aggravated battery, while one was exonerated entirely.[22][23] The sentencing took place on 28 November 2013. Three were sentenced to two years in prison, while one was sentenced to 20 months, one to 18 months, and one to 11 months.[24]

Burial controversy

Natan-Zada's funeral was a controversial matter. Jewish law requires a swift burial, but nationwide outrage against his attacks left his body without a willing resting place for two days.

An initial agreement between IDF officials and the Natan-Zada family would have allowed burial in a military cemetery, but with no military honors such as a 21-gun salute or placement of the Israeli flag upon his coffin. However, Meir Nitzan, the mayor of Rishon LeZion, intervened before the funeral. The morgue which housed Natan-Zada's body, Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, refused to release the body to friends and fellow Kahane activists to bury, resulting in a bitter protest.

Residents of

David Haivri
, who expressed pain over the loss of Natan-Zada and emphasized the tragedy of his death.

Some Israeli media outlets initially suggested that Natan-Zada be buried in the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba, where Baruch Goldstein, who committed the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre 11 years earlier, is buried. Natan-Zada's body resided for two days in the Abu-Kabir morgue, pending an appeal to Prime Minister Sharon by his parents. On 7 August 2005, the Prime Minister's Bureau overruled Meir Nitzan's ban against burial in Rishon LeZion, and decreed that Zada should be buried in the civilian cemetery there.[25] He was buried in the Gordon neighborhood. Because of the delays, Natan-Zada was buried two days after Jewish law allows. Three of the hundreds of mourners at the burial were arrested with administrative arrest orders, including "New Kach" leader Efraim Hershkovits, American citizen Saadia Herskof, and former Kach activist Tiran Pollack's son Gilad.[11]

Victim compensation

After the event, the

Mohammed Barakeh, an Arab member of the Israeli parliament, saying that the "…decision raises a strong scent of racism, which distinguishes between a Jewish terrorist and an Arab terrorist."[26] On 19 July 2006, the Israeli government changed the "Compensation Law for Victims of Hostile Acts" to include anyone victimized by violence stemming from the Israeli-Arab conflict.[29] As a result of this change, the victims and families of Natan-Zada became eligible for terror compensation.[29]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Mofaz visits Shfaram to meet families of Israeli Arab terror victims". Haaretz. 10 August 2005.
  2. ^ Israeli Government Bears Responsibility for Shefa-Amr Massacre Archived 2 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Kibbush.co.il 7 August 2005
  3. ^ Last moments of Natan-Zada Maariv, 8 August 2005
  4. ^ "USATODAY.com – Israel's orange revolt: Public support for Gaza settlers". Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  5. ^ Myre, Greg (5 August 2005). "Jewish Militant Opens Fire on Bus of Israeli Arabs, Killing 4". The New York Times.
  6. ^ "Columns: No group holds patent on terrorism". Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  7. ^ "Arab defendants acquitted of murdering Jewish terrorist in lynch". i24 news. 28 July 2013.
  8. ^ "By the grave of Eden Natan Zada". Haaretz.
  9. ^ a b Farrell, Stephen (6 August 2005). "Israeli killer was recruited to terror over the internet". The Times. London.
  10. ^ 'I won't expel Jews' Ynetnews, 5 August 2005
  11. ^ a b Israel responds to Israeli terrorism The New Republic, 10 July 2005
  12. ^ "Israeli police brace for possible riots". Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  13. ^
    Ynetnews
    .
  14. Ynetnews
    .
  15. HaAretz. Archived from the original
    on 22 March 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  16. ^ PM SHARON STATEMENT on Jewish terrorist attack IMRA, 4 August 2005
  17. ^ Extended detention for the suspects in the murder of Eden Natan-Zada Archived 21 July 2006 at the Wayback Machine Walla, 13 June 2006 (in Hebrew)
  18. ^ Police detail seven suspects in Zada lynching Yedioth Ahronoth, 13 June 2006 (in Hebrew)
  19. ^ Orlev: It is forbidden to accept surrender to the political terror of Arab MKs Archived 12 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine HaTzofe (in Hebrew)
  20. ^ 12 charged in Shfaram shooter lynching[permanent dead link] Jerusalem Post, 7 June 2009
  21. ^ 'Government knew of Jewish terrorist's plan to open fire on Shfaram bus' Archived 22 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Haaretz, 16 March 2010.
  22. ^ "Defendants in Natan Zada lynching convicted of attempted manslaughter". ynet. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  23. ^ "Israel Hayom – Suspects in death of Jewish terrorist Natan-Zada acquitted of attempted murder". Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  24. ^ Defendants in Natan Zada lynching get 2 years in prison – Ynetnews
  25. ^ Killer to be buried Sunday Ynetnews, 8 July 2005
  26. ^ a b McGreal, Chris (1 September 2005). "Jewish gunman was no terrorist, Israel rules". The Guardian.
  27. ^ "Arab victims of attack by extremist Jew not recognized as terror victims". Israelinsider. 30 August 2005. Archived from the original on 4 January 2009.
  28. ^ Eldar, Akiva (30 August 2005). "No free lunches from Bush". Haaretz.
  29. ^ a b Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (6 March 2007). "RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS". United States Department of State. In 2005 in the wake of the Shfaram attack, after Eden Natan-Zada, a member of the illegal right-wing Jewish movement Kach, killed four Israeli Arabs and wounded others when he fired on a bus, then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered the amendment of existing legislation which authorized compensation only for victims of terrorist actions perpetrated by regular military forces or by an organization hostile to the State of Israel or the Jewish people. On 19 July, the government amended the 1970 Compensation Law for Victims of Hostile Acts to include any persons victimized by violence deriving from the Israeli-Arab conflict. Under the amended law, the Natan-Zada victims and their families were recognized as victims of terrorism and eligible for compensation.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

External links

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