Kotel murder suspect claims victim cursed him
Court remands Hadi Qablan, suspected of murdering Doron Ben-Shlush Friday. According to Qablan's version, shooting preceded by verbal exchange in which victim swore at him for being Druze
Qablan, 25, a former Border Guard, initially remained silent during in his interrogation, but has since provided his version of the events, which is currently being checked.
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On Friday, Qablan fired at least 12 bullets at Ben-Shlush near a public toilet in the vicinity of the Western Wall. He claimed the victim shouted "Allahu Akbar" and pulled something out from his pocket.
According to people who knew the victim, he was a known figure in the Western Wall and used to volunteer at a soup kitchen nearby.
Judge Dana Cohen wrote in her decision to remand Qablan: "According to the suspicion, the defendant, serving as a guard at the Kotel, shot and killed the deceased following a verbal dispute between the two."
The Court remanded Qablan for fear of disruption of investigation procedures. "With regards to the grounds of the arrest – the danger is derived from the event itself and its circumstances… without ignoring that the defendant has no criminal record and served as a security guard after a full military service."
Qablan's attorney, Kamal Kamal: "He heard 'Allahu Akbar' cries and that is why he acted the way he did. He suspected it was a terrorist. The two had a general argument, with all kinds of curses. It must be understood this was an eccentric man. If he swore, it does not mean it was necessarily aimed at my client. His swearing was general and referred to Muslims, Jews and Druze. He spoke both Hebrew and Arabic and it was not possible to tell whether he was a minority member or Jewish."
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