Ronen Lubarsky
Ronen LubarskyCourtesy of the family

Israel’s Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from the family of a terrorist who murdered an Israeli soldier earlier this year, paving the way for the total demolition of the terrorist’s home.

On Sunday, the court ruled against the family of Islam Naji Abu Hmeid, the terrorist responsible for IDF 1st Sergeant Ronen Lubarsky’s death in May.

In August, IDF Central Command chief Major General Nadav Padan issued a demolition order for the entire four-story building where the terrorist had resided prior to the terror attack which killed Lubarsky.

The terrorist’s family, however, appealed to the Supreme Court, hoping to nullify the demolition order or have it reduced in scope, so that most of the building would be left intact.

The court did not accept the family’s argument, however, and ruled that despite the harm caused to the family by the loss of their home, Israel’s security concerns and the need to maintain deterrence against future attacks outweighed the harm to the terrorist’s relatives.

“I am aware of the harm the demolition will cause to the building’s residents,” wrote Supreme Court Justice Yael Willner.

“However, in taking all of the relevant considerations into account, and given the importance of an effective deterrence in our case and in general for the physical security of Israeli citizens, I am of the opinion that none of the harm [to the terrorist’s family] involved here, as serious as it is, that would justify reducing the scope of the demolition order.”

Lubarsky’s family praised the court’s decision to reject the appeal.

“The home of the terrorist who murdered our son must be demolished immediately. Enough time has passed since then. We demand that the terrorist be immediately sentenced to death and that his family be immediately deported in order to prevent the next murder.”

A number of the terrorist’s immediate family members, including several brothers, have been involved in terror attacks in the past, including the murder of Rabbi Binyamin Zeev Kahane and his wife Talya Kahane in a shooting attack in December 2000.

The family’s previous home was also demolished at the same location in 1990, in response to a terror attack committed by Islam Naji’s brother.

Lubarsky, a member of the elite ‘Duvdevan’ unit was critically injured in May when Islam Naji Abu Hmeid dropped a stone block on his head from several stories up.

The incident occurred during an IDF raid in a Palestinian Authority-controlled town near Ramallah in Samaria. Lubarsky’s unit had been securing the perimeter during the arrest of wanted terror suspect.

Lubarsky later succumbed to his injuries.