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Mahamid's family

Stabber's family: Police caused terms violation at funeral

Family of Ahmad Muhammad Mahamid, who was shot dead while attempting to stab a police officer in Jerusalem, angry at police decision to appropriate NIS 50,000 in guarantee money after 1,500 people showed up for his funeral, violating the police's terms.

The family of Ahmad Muhammad Mahamid, who was shot dead Friday while attempting to stab a police officer in Jerusalem, was outraged Tuesday at the Israel Police's decision to appropriate NIS 50,000 in guarantee money for the violation of terms imposed on the funeral.

 

 

"We didn't commit to anything," said Mahamid's uncle, Jamal, who added the family has yet to receive notice of the police's decision. "The police said we had two hours to bury him from the moment we got the body back. We got him covered in blood and bullet holes."

 

As part of the terms, police placed a restriction of 150 on the number of people permitted to attend the funeral, but 1,500 showed up to the procession at around 2am, which was also marked by the launching of fireworks and calls against Israel.

 

Crowds chant through the street during funeral

Crowds chant through the street during funeral

סגורסגור

שליחה לחבר

 הקלידו את הקוד המוצג
תמונה חדשה

שלח
הסרטון נשלח לחברך

סגורסגור

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 קוד להטמעה:

 

"When we came to the mosque, we were surprised to see so many people," Jamal said. "Could we really control them? There was no violence. We passed by the community Mei Ami and there were no disturbances or stone throwing. I even asked people to hurry, because we only had two hours to bury him."

  

Jamal repeated the family's claim his nephew was mentally unstable and did not act of nationalistic motivations. "The problems started four years ago. His engagement did not succeed and his situation deteriorated to the point he had to be hospitalized. The video (of the incident) shows he could have been neutralized without being killed. He was unell, but he was certainly not a terrorist," the uncle said.

 

The funeral procession in Umm al-Fahm
The funeral procession in Umm al-Fahm
 

Many residents from Umm al-Fahm, where the family resides, harshly criticized police conduct—primarily the fact police officers shot Mahamid to death, but also the fact the family was expected to control the number of people attending the funeral.

 

Mustafa Abu Majd, a former member of the Umm al-Fahm city council and a close friend of the family, said Mahamid came from a disadvantaged family, and his parents could not keep an eye on him on a regular basis. "This was the first time he went to Jerusalem, since he's not a religious man," Abu Majd said.

 

He also joined the criticism of the police, saying "I especially checked for the meaning of 'neutralize' in Hebrew, and it doesn't mean killing. Couldn't they neutralize him with a stick? With a shot to the leg? To neutralize is to render ineffective or harmless, but I guess that only applies to Jews. When it's an Arab, the meaning is to kill him."

 

Ahmad Muhammad Mahamid
Ahmad Muhammad Mahamid

 

Abu Majd, who helped negotiate the release of the body to the family, claimed that even though the terms were violated, the police should not appropriate the guarantee money.

 

"Those who caused this protest are the police, who insisted not to give back the body without terms that were doomed to fail," he said. "The protest was against the police. Is the police officer also a judge and executioner?"

 

He argued that "the police acted unwisely. They should've released the body on Friday and allowed a quick and modest burial with only the family present."

 

He allowed that "there were calls (against Israel), but it's the police conduct that caused it. We committed to hold the funeral at night, but we made it clear we won't be able to control the number of participants."

 

The funeral procession in Umm al-Fahm
The funeral procession in Umm al-Fahm

 

The Israel Police said in response that "as part of keeping the peace and ensuring public safety and order, the Israel Police set—under the authority given to it by law—terms to allow the return of the body of the terrorist Ahmad Mahamid to his family for a funeral in Umm al-Fahm.

 

"As previously stated, the terms imposed by the police were allegedly violated yesterday in breach of the law, after many hundreds of participants were seen (at the funeral), in contravention of the police order that defined and limited the time of the funeral, the route of the procession, the number of participants (up to 150 family members) and so on.

 

"Due to (the family) failing to meet these terms, the police will launch an investigation on suspicion of failing to adhere to instructions and violating an order, and will also work to appropriate the money deposit in accordance with the law."

 


פרסום ראשון: 08.21.18, 19:33
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