Alexander Levlovich
Two terrorists each get 18 years in prison for 2015 terror attacks
Subhi Abu Halifa, who seriously wounded a yeshiva student in October 2015, and Abed Dawiat, who threw the stone that caused Alexander Levlovich's death in September 2015, reach plea deals with the prosecution.
Two terrorists who committed attacks in the fall of 2015 will each serve 18 years in prison after reaching plea deals with the State Attorney’s Office on Monday.
Subhi Abu Halifa, 19 from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Shuafat, admitted to and was convicted of attempted murder, attempted robbery and aggravated battery after stabbing and wounding two Israelis in Jerusalem last year.
On October 8, 2014, Abu Halifa attacked a 25-year-old yeshiva student on Bar-Lev Road in Jerusalem's French Hill neighborhood, who was engaged in a conversation with a light rail security guard.
Subhi Abu Halifa
Abu Halifa stabbed the yeshiva student in his neck, seriously wounding him. He also wounded a passerby who tried to help the yeshiva student.
Abu Halifa, who has Israeli citizenship, then confronted the light rail security guard. He tried to snatch the security guard's weapon unsuccessfully.
He then saw that a riot police team stationed nearby noticed him, and tried to flee the scene. But when he tried to enter a car, the riot police officers caught up with him and arrested him.
Another plea was reached with Abed Dawiat, the main defendant behind the rock-throwing attack that led to the death of Alexander Levlovich.
On Rosh Hashanah eve in September 2015, the 64-year-old Levlovich was driving back to his home in Jerusalem's East Talpiot neighborhood after a holiday dinner when Palestinians pelted his car with rocks.
Levlovich lost control of the vehicle and had a heart attack, causing him to drive into a pole. He was taken to the hospital in serious condition and succumbed to his injuries the next day. Two other passengers who were in the vehicle were lightly hurt.
Alexander Levlovich and the scene of the attack (Photo: Jerusalem Fire Department)
A month later, the State Attorney's Office indicted four Palestinians for manslaughter, aggravated battery, endangering human life on the road, hindering a police officer in the line of duty, arson, and weapons manufacturing. Two of them were also accused of throwing Molotov cocktails and stones at security forces during riots in 2014.
According to the indictment, the defendants carried out the attack as "retaliation and in solidarity" following clashes on the Temple Mount. It was Dawiat who threw the stone that hit Levlovich's car. After seeing the results of the attack, the four fled, and later met to coordinate their stories in case they got caught.
Abed Dawiat (Photo: Shin Bet)
Three weeks ago, the prosecution reached a plea deal with a minor who was involved in the attack, according to which he would admit to the charges attributed to him and serve only 9 years in prison. He would also testify against the others.
Levlovich's family opposes the deal. "On the conscientious level, we, his children, will not make even one decision that doesn't fully bring to justice our father's murderers," Levlovich's son Nir said. "We regret that once again the prosecution is playing it safe. And while they decided to lower the charges from murder, it's a shame they're not letting the judges bring him to justice and give him the maximum punishment.”
Prosecutor Lizu Wolfus said the 18 years' imprisonment sentencing was unprecedented, the gravest given to someone convicted of manslaughter using a rock.
For comparison, the terrorist who threw the stone that caused the death of four-year-old Adele Biton was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.
