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'Arabs look at Israel as weak'

Assassin of Minister Rehavam Zeevi sentenced to 125 years imprisonment. Zeevi's son slams Israeli 'weakness' in face of terror, decries concessions to Palestinians

"If my father were alive today, he would say that we have learned nothing since his death," said a disappointed Palmach Zeevi on Monday after the Jerusalem District Court sentenced his father's murderer to 125 years imprisonment.

 

Hamdi Quran was sentenced to five consecutive terms of life imprisonment after being convicted of assassinating Minister Rehavam Zeevi in October 2001. ''The murder of a minister is not just the murder of a person, but also a blow to a symbol of the state and its sovereignty. All of (Quran's) activities were carried out purposefully and with the intention of causing the most possible damage to residents of the state,'' the judges wrote their ruling.

 

"But how can we condemn about the killer for saying in court that he is not to blame, the occupations is – when so many of our own people speak of the occupation in that same manner," Zeevi told Ynet several short hours after the sentencing.

 

Zeevi said that recent events have made it clear that Israel has yet to learn any lessons from the second Intifada, of which his father was a victim of. "It is inconceivable that after this bout of violence, during which we were attacked with weapons we had given the other side to help it bring order to its streets, that we would repeat our mistakes. And yet here we are, giving weapons and here again, Palestinian security officers are murdering Jews."

 

Quran (33) confessed to killing Zeevi on the orders of the Popular Front. According to his confession, on the morning of October 17 2001, he entered the Hyatt hotel in Jerusalem along with his accomplice, Bassel Assamer, and the two proceeded to follow the minister from the dining court to his room, on the hotel's eighth floor.

 

When Zeevi reached his room, Quran shot him in the head three times, at point-blank range. Zeevi suffered fatal wounds and died shortly after.

 

Quran further confessed to being involved in a series of other terror acts, for which he was sentences to 100 years in prison.

 

"Every action taken by the defendant was made with the clear intent to hurt as many Israeli citizens as possible. Not only has the defendant shown no remorse for his actions, but he has declared before the court that he will not hesitate to repeat them.

 

"His actions cannot, neither now or in the future, be justified," said the court.

 

Aviram Zino contributed to this article

 


פרסום ראשון: 12.03.07, 10:30
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