Sana Elbaz
Photo: Herzel Yosef
Bedouin car-torcher handed prison sentence
Man to be jailed after torching female relative's car for taking part in 60th anniversary ceremony
The Beersheba District Court sentenced Abdek Tabet, 18 from Lod, to three years and four months in prison on Sunday after he was convicted of setting fire to the car and front door of a Bedouin woman who participated in Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations.
Torch to Torching
Bedouin lighter of 60th anniversary torch suffers ironic twist of fate as her car is torched by unknown persons. Celebratory torch and car torching connected, husband says
Tabet is a relative of Sana Elbaz, who lit a celebratory beacon at the national Independence Day ceremony at Mount Herzl. Aggravated by Elbaz's decision to take part in the televised ceremony and took revenge by torching her car and front door on the eve of the festivities.
He was convicted of filling bottles with fuel and, with the help of an accomplice, using them to set the possessions on fire after Elbaz's husband had departed. Elbaz, her 15-year old daughter, and her 1-year old son were inside the house at the time.
Tabet told the court that he was enraged at Elbaz's decision to light the celebratory torch because it negated the place of the woman in society. He said the appearance of women in the media contradicted his culture.
He was convicted according to a plea bargain negotiated with the prosecution.
Justice Eliyahu Bitan wrote in his verdict that Tabet was deserving of punishment far more severe than that recommended by the prosecution, but that he had respected the plea bargain as it allotted a lengthy prison term.
Tabet was also ordered by the court to compensate Elbaz and her family with a sum of NIS 25,000. ($6,000).
