Three smirking and laughing members of the right-wing neo-Kahanist Lehava organization were indicted today for the hate crime arson of a Jewish-Arab Jerusalem school, the Max Rayne Hand-in-Hand School.
Three Sefardi Haredi Members Of The Right-Wing Neo-Kahanist Lehava Organization Indicted For Torching Jewish-Arab School
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Three members of the right-wing neo-Kahanist Lehava organization were indicted today for the November 29 hate crime arson of the Jewish-Arab Max Rayne Hand-in-Hand School in Jerusalem, Ynet reported.
22-year-old Yitzhak Gabai, who lives in Jerusalem, and two brothers from the West Bank haredi settlement of Beitar Illit, 20-year-old Shlomo and 18-year-old Nachman Twito, were charged with arson, breaking and entering and vandalism. Gabi was also charged with possessing a knife.
The Max Rayne Hand-in-Hand School is located only yards from Gabai’s home.
But despite the anti-Arab and racist messages the three painted on the school building before setting it on fire, they were not charged with committing a hate crime, although a prosecutor told the court that the indictment may be amended at a later date to include a hate crime charge.
The three allegedly decided to attack the school when they heard a rumor that the school held a memorial ceremony for the late PLO terrorist and leader of the PLO Yasser Arafat, who made peace with Israel in 1993. (The school says no such ceremony was held.)
The three suspects, who were seen laughing and smirking in the courtroom, were remanded until further notice.
Their lawyer, radical right-wing neo-Kahanist Itamar Ben Gvir of the Honenu organization, claimed the confessions of the three suspects were coerced.
“[T]hey were subject to serious abuse by the Shin Bet, mental stress, sleep deprivation and threats by investigators that they would beat them if they don't confess. I doubt that the confessions will be considered admissible,” Ben Gvir claimed.
Gabai was previously arrested in May on suspicion of incitement to racism and other charges after he allegedly put up signs attacking Christianity during Pope Francis' visit to Israel this spring.
His mother said today that Jews and Arabs should not be studying in mixed classes and she would have torched the Jewish-Arab school herself if it were not illegal to do so.
“It’s disgusting that Jews and Arabs learn side by side. If we didn’t have a country governed by law, I would have done the same [as my son],” she told Ynet.
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