Nightclub terrorist to reach plea bargain

Qalqilya resident accused of running over, stabbing eight people outside Tel Aviv club last August to reach deal omitting nationalist motive from indictment

Naama Cohen-Friedman|Published: 12.26.11 , 14:48

Qalqilya resident Muhammed Sufan, 21, who is accused of committing a terrorist attack outside 'Haoman 17' nightclub in Tel Aviv last August, is close to reaching a plea bargain in his case, Ynet learned Monday.

According to the impending agreement, Sufan will admit to the charges against him, in return for dropping a clause in the indictment stating the act was committed out of nationalist motives.

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Instead, the indictment will claim he committed the act due to personal motives stemming from complex life circumstances. Sufan is expected to serve between 17-20 years in prison.

Sufan is accused of running over people standing outside the Tel Aviv nightclub and stabbing eight officers and security guards that tried to subdue him. The indictment includes charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit a crime, illegal entry into Israel and robbery.

צופאן. נסיבות חיים סבוכות (צילום: מוטי קמחי)

Muammad Sufan in court (Photo: Moti Kimhi)

According to the indictment, after Operation Cast Lead and due to IDF operations in the Gaza Strip, Sufan planned "to commit a terrorist attack motivated by nationalist reasons inside Israel, in order to kill Israeli security personnel."

On August 29, 2011, the accused stole a cab in Tel Aviv, and launched a rampage during which he ran over Border Guard officers who were standing near a police blockade in a southern part of the city.

Later, he stabbed a police officer and citizens, a few meters away from a nightclub swarming with teenagers. The indictment also notes that Sufan planned to stab Israeli citizens near the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

During his investigation, Sufan admitted to the charges and recalled in detail the motivation behind his acts. However, his attorney claimed that his client's confession may have been collected under duress.

Sufan, who has two brothers serving life sentences and a mother who was murdered after marrying a Jew, is not affiliated with any terror group operating in the West Bank. However, he has a criminal record that includes disturbing a police officer and illegally staying in Israel.