Terrorism indictment filed against suspects over Givat Ronen violence

The State Attorney filed an indictment on Tuesday against individuals on suspicion that they attacked two Israeli-Arab residents of Rahat who entered Givat Ronen in the West Bank by mistake in early August, Israeli media reported on Tuesday.

30-year-old David Hesdai and 33-year-old Yaakov Golman, residents of Givat Ronen, were accused of attacking the women and children at the outpost.

According to the indictment, the car holding five family members, including a toddler and a minor, drove into Givat Ronan after a navigation error.

Hesdai noticed that it was a vehicle with an Israeli license plate and gave chase. He got out of his vehicle and approached the driver.

Due to fear, she sped up to retrace her steps and leave the settlement - but Hesdai began to chase her. Then, other people who were around started shouting at the women, "Come, we want to kill you."

A mass attack

Around 20 people, including masked and armed men, began chasing the fleeing women and children.

They pelted their vehicle with stones and rocks and called them "terrorists," "you came to carry out an attack," "you have nowhere to run," and "you have nothing to shout; no one will hear you here."

The women begged the attackers to stop, they pointed out that they were wrong, and even tried to show them Israeli identity cards. But their car windshields were shattered, and they were directly hit by the rocks and stones.

One of the victims protected the toddler with her body. Later, Hesdai and the others demanded that the women get out of the vehicle and threatened that if they did not listen to them - they would not get out of it alive. They gave in to the threats and got out of the car barefoot.

They began to run away while still being attacked by the angry crowd who shouted, "We will kill you" - and set fire to the vehicle left behind.

The women and the toddler were rescued by the IDF. They were evacuated from the scene in ambulances, suffering from serious injuries. One of them was in danger. At the same time, fire brigades took care of the burning vehicle, inside which the women's personal property remained.

"For his part in the incident, David Hesdai is charged with the crimes of terrorist act of aggravated intentional sabotage together, threats together with a racist motive, deliberate sabotage of a car together with a racist motive, arson together, malicious damage to property together with a racist motive. For his part in the incident, Yaakov Golman is charged with crimes of extortion with threats out of a racist motive, out of a racist motive, invasion of privacy, malicious damage to property out of a racist motive," the prosecutor's office stated.

Hesdai, who continues to deny his involvement in the attack on the women, had a confrontation with the driver, during which she identified him as the one who took an active part in the lynching and said, "It's him for sure, 100 percent, I have no doubt."

The prosecutor's office also claims that Hesdai gave a false alibi regarding his presence at the time of the attack, which was hidden by the testimony of members of the emergency squad.

The women's father, Adnan al-Jaar, told 103fm, "I welcome [the decision], but an effort is needed from the Shin Bet and the police because they were much more. What was done there was lynching, and lynchings involved mass participation. Where are they?"

"These are not all those responsible. Crowds participated in this act; many, many people were there. My girls say there were 15-20 people there. After all, those who were caught know this group," he added.

"More effort needs to be made, and more people brought in. I welcome it and thank the police and the Shin Bet and those who brought the result, but in my eyes it is not enough."