Ofer - Plea Bargain, Stone Throwing

Translation: Marganit W.

Courtroom 1

Judge: Lieut. Rani Amer

Military prosecutor: Anan Sarhan

Defense: Haled Al Araj

Ahmed Haled Mahmoud Ibrahim – ID 401649678

Ahmed Ibrahim was arrested three months ago. He is a resident of Jelazoun refugee camp, which has featured in the news lately because it is close to the houses that were demolished yesterday in Bet-El.

The charge: manufacturing and throwing a fire bomb.

The judge states that on seven occasions in 2010, 2014 and 2015 the defendant threw rocks. The trial is at a preliminary stage so there are no details: where did he throw rocks, at whom, when? Perhaps there will be no details in the future either.

The attorney requests a postponement.

This case, like all the other ones we attended today, may end up with a plea bargain: the defendant will plead guilty and there will be no need for evidence.

Muhammad Hassan Haled Halef – ID 854883253

Muhammad is 21 years old, a resident of Azzaria.

He was arrested 26 months ago and was indicted on January 2013.

He, too, is accused of manufacturing and throwing a fire bomb. Who or what did he throw it at? The separation wall (thus hitting an Israeli target)? One can imagine his frustration.

We asked the attorney why this trial has dragged so long. Muhammad has been in prison for more than two years. All he did was hurl a bottle at the separation wall. The attorney explained that earlier Iliya Theodori handled the case, and he only took over two months ago.

The military prosecutor said, “This is a big case. There has been much progress.”

We did not get an answer to our question.

Ahmad Yunes Sidaki Atrash – ID 854864725

Accused of preparing/throwing/laying a bomb.

A short hearing. The evidence was presented to the judge and the detainee was taken out of the court.

Anas Taysir Salame Awuada – ID 401587100

Sentencing

Anas Awuada lives in Dura  and is a senior at school.

His mother and brother told us that he was arrested 19 months ago (at the beginning of 2014).

He is accused of manufacturing and throwing a fire bomb.

The judge states that since October 2013 until his arrest Anas was a member of a military unit whose aim was to hit Israeli targets. On several occasions they threw objects and fire bombs at Israeli vehicles – in April 2012 and in May, July and August 2013 – acts that “clearly endanger innocent people.” On one occasion they broke a side window on a jeep; these acts deserve a deterrent punishment.

He was sentenced to 28 months from the day of arrest, which means he has 10  more months in prison, plus 24 months suspended sentence for five years and a 2000-shekel fine.

Kidar Muhammad Ramadan Halef Jit – ID 905664173

There is more to this case than meets the eye. In a plea bargain Kidar was convicted of asking another person to contact a Hamas operative (expelled to another country – presumably Turkey - as a result of the Shalit agreement) asking him to buy for him a plot of land for 600,000 dinar (about 3 million shekel), so that he, Kidar Halef Jit, will later sell the land and pocket the money.

This sounds surreal: approaching someone to ask Hamas to buy land for 3 million shekel, then resell it and pocket the money! This is absurd.

What we find interesting here is the nexus between Israel and money -money that enters the Palestinian Authority through NGOs, human rights organizations and political movements. Israel wants to control the flow of money to the Palestinian Authority. Such funds from human rights organizations or political movements, only strengthen Hamas. Israel, which controls the influx of money and holds the key to it, thus makes sure the Palestinian economy remains in its depressed condition. Declaring any attempt to bring ‘enemy money’ a crime, guarantees Israel’s monopoly on the flow of money.

However, in his summation the military prosecutor stated that in fact no money changed hands.

In 2003 Mr. Halef Jit was convicted of sheltering (someone wanted by the military or the Shabak) and in 2004 he was convicted of membership and activity in a proscribed organization.

The present conviction is for “bringing Hamas money into the region” for which he got the following penalty:

8 months in prison starting with the day of arrest, 12-month suspended sentence for 3 years, plus 2000-shekel fine or 2 months in prison.