Convicted of incitement to violence: 'Throw stones even if a soldier dies'
Eliraz Fein, 24, from Yitzhar, expressed her support for throwing stones at soldiers; regarding the murder of Muhammad Abu Khdeir, she wrote: 'Proud and happy to discover that there are Jews who could not remain silent.'
The indictment filed last August shows that following the evacuation and demolition of illegal structures in Yitzhar in 2014, a group of Google activists called Yitzharniks held an online discussion about the legitimacy of violent acts such as throwing stones at the security forces.
Among other things, Fein wrote: "I am in favor of throwing stones (at Jews, and of course, there's no question with regard to Arabs) in certain situations, even if the stone leads to the death of a soldier!!! I would back up stone throwers in the face of any external entity, even in cases when it was unnecessary." A few hours after Fein announced that she supports the throwing of stones at soldiers stones were thrown at special forces (Yasam) in the settlement.
The indictment also stated that in the wake of the abduction and murder of the three youths in Gush Etzion in 2014, the murder of the young Muhammad Abu Khdeir in 2014, and the arson incident in the village of Duma in 2015, in which the three Dawabsha family members were murdered, the defendant posted on Facebook, calling for acts of violence or terror against Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Arabs, as well as words of praise, sympathy, encouragement, and support for such acts.
According to the indictment, Fein posted the abovementioned statements after already having been interviewed under caution and even arrested for a previous post. In response to the abduction and murder of Abu Khdeir in July 2014, Fein posted directly and consistently on the accounts of her 800 Facebook friends: "I am proud to discover that there are Jews who could not stand idly by! I pray those arrested (whom I don't even know) find strength and courage."
In June 2015, after the arson incident at the Church of the Lamb and Fish near the Sea of Galilee, the defendant wrote: "Good morning! This time it was a church, being considerate of Muslim feelings, Ramadan Kareem to you too." Fein later wrote in response that "the act itself is a mitzvah," along with many other reactions.
Following the arson of the Dawabsha family's house in the village of Duma, Fein posted in August 2015 on Facebook: "To terrify them and make them understand that Jewish blood is not forfeit, for murder, the enemy will bathe in his own blood… I believe damaging Arab property is appropriate and dignified."
As for the punishment to be imposed on Fein, the State Prosecutor's Office announced that they would vote for six months of community service. The defense, for its part, will seek to end the process without conviction, intending to claim that this is a young woman who merely wrote a few Facebook posts.
According to the defense, in special cases, even if there is an admission of acts, the court can overturn the conviction. However, this is a process whose chances of execution are low. The penalty stage was set for September 26.
(Translated and edited by N. Elias)
