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Ze'ev Brauda
Photo: Gil Yohanan

Settler denies intentionally shot Palestinians

Court decides to remand arrest of Ze'ev Brauda, suspected of wounding two Palestinians after eviction of disputed Hebron house in shooting incident caught on tape. But Brauda insists to Ynet he only discharged his weapon in self defense

The Jerusalem District Court rejected the bail appeal filed Monday by Ze'ev Brauda, who is suspected of firing at Palestinians after the eviction of the disputed house in the West Bank city of Hebron, last week.

 

Brauda was remanded on Sunday, but appealed the court's decision. Justice Orit Efal Gabai said he was likely to try and hinder the investigation, adding he may also pose a risk to public safety. His remand stands.

 

"I didn't mean to hurt anyone," Brauda repeatedly asserted on Monday. The Kiryat Arba resident told Ynet that he told police investigators the same in numerous interrogations.

 

"My only goal was to get to the House of Peace (the disputed property) and get my son out. I only fired in self defense, I feared for my life and the life of the man next to me. My harming the Palestinians was a gross error. I only meant to fire warning shots in the air," he insisted.

 

Brauda's attorney, Ariel Atari, told the court his client was not involved in the violent incidents surrounding the eviction of the property, and had only intended to make sure his son was safe. He added that the boy had not been answering his cell phone, and that his mother was concerned.

 

Atari said Brauda only fired when there was a clear danger posed to his life, as he was being assaulted by

Palestinians.

 

But the police representative at the hearing said that Brauda had attacked the Palestinian first, unprovoked. "Any sensible person would have fled the moment the locals picked up stones, but Brauda stood there and clashed with the Palestinians," she told the court.

 

She emphasized that Brauda "aimed the weapon to kill. It's a miracle that this case isn't a murder case, and if he had a gun with different bullets there is no doubt that people would have lost their lives."

 


פרסום ראשון: 12.08.08, 19:25
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