Karaki's funeral
Photo: Dudi Vaknin
Karaki, the victim
Reproduction photo: Yaron Brener
Soufir, the murder suspect
Photo: Niv Calderon
Murdered Arab driver to be recognized as terror victim
Taisir Karaki's family stands to receive grants, pension from state following his murder by new immigrant from France
Taisir Karaki, the Arab cab driver from Jerusalem who was murdered in Tel Aviv Tuesday, will be recognized by the State of Israel as a terror victim, National Insurance Institute officials estimated.
The decision is pending the approval of the defense establishment.
Murder Case
Julien Soufir, suspected of killing Arab taxi driver, smiles for photographers at court, but says nothing
Karaki was allegedly murdered by Julien Soufir, a new immigrant from France, after Karaki drove him to Tel Aviv. According to suspicion, Soufir invited Karaki to come up to his apartment and use his bathroom, and then slit his throat with a knife.
If Karaki is recognized as a victim of terror, his family will become eligible to receive a pension from the state, as well as different grants. Social workers are set to visit the family's house soon and offer them aid.
The grants could total up to hundreds of thousands of shekels per year, to be paid until the victim's children turn 18.
Up until a year ago, Israeli-Arabs who fell victim to acts of terror by Jews could not be recognized as victims of terror, as the law defined acts of terror only as attacks carried out by enemies of the state.
Following the attack by Jewish soldier Eden Natan Zada in Shfaram two years ago, during which four Arab residents of the town were killed and 22 people were wounded, the government decided to change the law, so that it applies to victims of Jewish terror as well.
