Nirit Zmora
Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg
Terror victim urges court to give attacker maximum punishment
After terrorist Hamza Faiz was acquitted of attempted murder and convicted only of aggravated battery, his victim Nirit Zmora criticizes court decision and demands harshest punishment; 'This is a bouquet from my children to the murderer as a thank you for not trying—according to the court's claims—to murder me.'
A terror victim urged a military court on Wednesday to impose the maximum sentence on the terrorist who seriously wounded her after he was acquitted of attempted murder and convicted instead of aggravated battery.
In October 2015, terrorist Hamza Faiz attacked Nirit Zmora with a knife, stabbing and seriously wounding her at a parking lot at the Gush Etzion Junction, while shouting "Allahu Akbar."
A month ago, judges Lt. Col. Zvi Heilbron, Lt. Col. Eti Adar, and Maj. Haim Balilty acquitted the terrorist of attempted murder, determining it was not possible to prove he had intended to murder Zmora, and convicted him instead of aggravated battery and of the illegal possession of a knife.
Nirit Zmora, right, with her husband (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)
During a sentencing hearing Wednesday, Zmora turned to the judges and told them, "This is a bouquet my children asked to give the murderer as a thank you for not trying—according to the court's claims—to murder me. One flower from each child."
"I stand before you today in more pain than I was before the verdict. I'm still shocked, outraged and sad," Zmora went on to say. "It's hard to be here after the experience I had here."
"The fact I'm standing here alive on my own two feet should in no way be credited to the murderer sitting here in the courtroom. I'm standing here, but it's easy to image a situation in which I wouldn't be standing here," she added.
"The victims who were murdered in cold blood in terror stabbings stand here as well. The only difference between them and me is that thanks to God's graces, the knife broke in my back," Zmora continued, explaining why the terrorist was unable to kill her.
Terrorist Hamza Faiz (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)
She stressed that her plea to the court was not motivated by revenge. "I ask the judges at the very least to sentence the murderer sitting here to the maximum punishment based on the verdict you unfortunately decided on," Zmora concluded.
"We're all in a war against terror, which puts civilians on the front lines," said attorney Haim Bleicher from the Honenu organization, who represents Zmora. "The IDF's court also has the responsibility to ensure the well-being of citizens. Even after the mistake made with the verdict, the facts are that this is a terrorist who sought to murder Jews. We expect the court to hand down the maximum punishment in the first stage, and in the second stage after the appeal the court must take a harsher stance against the terrorist and fulfill its legal and moral duty."
