The chaperone who shot at and killed an Arab rioter during an attempted lynching of a group of 25 Jewish schoolchildren acted in self-defense, the police announced Wednesday.
A class of students took part in a Bar Mitzvah hike near the Samaria town of Migdalim last month, chaperoned by two of the children's parents, when they were attacked by an Arab lynch mob.
At a certain stage dozens of Arab rioters began to attack the participants in a planned ambush. The rioters threw stones and rocks at the children and the youths, and the group was forced to take refuge along the steep cliffs nearby, thus facing danger to their lives both from the rocks thrown at them and the dangerous terrain.
Miraculously, the group found a cave in the area, where it hid until the arrival of the army. While the children hid in the cave, the rioters attempted to enter the cave and lynch the hikers.
One of the parents who chaperoned the children during the hike drew his firearm and fired at the attackers, killing one of them.
The police investigation into the incident concluded that the chaperones indeed acted in self-defense, reinforcing their claims that the children's lives were endangered by the rioters.
The case will be transferred to the State Prosecutor's Office and is expected to be closed.
In addition, evidence is being collected against five of the Arab rioters. One of the five has already been indicted for attempted murder.
Attorney Adi Kedar, who represents the two fathers who saved the children from the lynch mob, welcomed the police's statement: "My clients acted lawfully and legally as required by every citizen who is under clear and immediate danger to life. In a revised situation, the fathers who accompanied the Bar Mitzvah trip would receive certificates of appreciation from day one.They risked their lives in a very difficult incident in order to protect the children and themselves. "
"Unfortunately, they found themselves under investigation, and I am happy that today the Israel Police are announcing that their version has been checked and accepted, and we expect the police's main effort to bring all the rioters to justice," Kedar added.