'Jewish terrorist' suspected of 4 murders

Haim Pearlman committed four homicides, three attempted murders, police say during court hearing. Suspect's lawyer plans to appeal prohibition of meeting with client, insists he is being falsely accused

Raanan Ben-Zur|Published: 07.15.10 , 14:11

The Petah Tikva Magistrates' Court on Thursday extended the remand of Haim Pearlman, arrested Tuesday on suspicions that he committed a series of homicides and attempted homicides against Palestinians in Jerusalem in the 1990s.

During a hearing held in Pearlman's absence, the police ascribed to him no less than seven homicides and attempted murders. On Wednesday, the case only included three homicides.

The police claimed during the hearing that the murders allegedly committed by Pearlman took place in 1997, 1998, and 2004. The hearing was held without Pearlman's lawyer, Attorney Adi Keidar, who has yet to be allowed to meet with his client since his arrest. Keidar said that he plans to submit an appeal to challenge the ban on meeting with Pearlman.

'Edge of an abyss'

Keidar denied the allegation leveled against Pearlman and said that he is being kept in detainment merely as a means to pressure him. Keidar also claimed that the allegations are based only on indirect conversations.

"We deny the allegations. They are making a false case against him. I am being updated via media outlets and other sources. It turns out that this is a complex case of the Shin Bet handling Pearlman," Keidar said.

"They brought him to the edge of an abyss so that he would do what they asked of him. I don't want to imagine what would have happened had all the things they asked of him – including the assassination of Raed Salah – had been undertaken. He was being used (by Shin Bet) because he needed money," added Keidar.

The police asked the court to extend Pearlman's remand by 15 days, but the court only granted a seven-day extension.

Channel 1 reported Wednesday that Pearlman was a Shin Bet agent in 2000. The Shin Bet denied this.

"They fabricated the whole thing, just like in the 'Truman Show'. They are trying to frame me. That's what I think," the far rightist told Channel 2.

Kach activist Haim Pearlman, who was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion that he was the "serial stabber," insisted on Wednesday that he was framed by the Shin Bet security service because he refused to serve as its informant.