An IDF Military judge will hear pleas for sentencing for two of the three terrorists at 9:45 a.m. in the military court in Salem, west of Afula.
The incident occurred on June 15 of last year, when two 9th grade girls were standing at the Rechelim junction on Highway 60, waiting for a ride from Jewish passersby southwards towards Jerusalem. A car passed slowly by, turned around, then turned around again, and suddenly two armed Arabs got out and tried to catch the two girls. One of the girls was able to escape, watching helplessly as the Arabs tried to force her friend into their car.
At that moment, a car carrying an IDF officer happened along - and the kidnappers left the girl and tried to escape. The officer radioed the local forces to erect checkpoints along the road. Shortly afterwards, a white Chevrolet with the three Arabs was stopped near Shilo, and they were arrested without further incident.
It was later found that the terrorists had already dug a grave for their intended victims.
One of the girls was evacuated by ambulance to a Jerusalem hospital, with back and face injuries. She was released soon afterwards to recover from her physical injuries, but her emotional state did not allow her to return to school. However, after a few months in a different school in Jerusalem, she is now back with her friends in her original school. Both girls have "picked themselves up" and are doing even better in school than before, family members say.
But they demand justice. Incensed at the fact that the prosecution has come to a plea bargain with the terrorists, they continue to demand life imprisonment for those who tried to murder them. One of them will be in court on Wednesday to make the plea in person.
The three terrorists are no longer being charged with trading in weapons or giving shelter to terrorists, but only with the attempted kidnapping. The Prosecution has agreed that it will not request a sentence of more than 17 years in prison.
One of the girls, Hadass of Beit El, plans to tell the court on Wednesday, "Please remember all the preparations that went into this crime - the daring, the instructions, the way they obtained weapons, rented a car, recruited people, and they even dug a grave! They dug a grave for my friend Emunah and me - everything was ready! And so they set out. There were a few problems: one of the men quit, the car broke down, but they were determined to murder. They passed by the bus stop where we were sitting, Emunah and I, and then they decided that we were good targets for being murdered. Why? Because we are weak and can't protect ourselves; they are contemptible murderers who seek out the weak... So they made two U-turns and came to us. They just didn't realize that G-d loves us... Does anyone here think that after they serve their punishment, they will be good people? Not at all; they will try to murder again. My uncle, Kobi Zaga, may G-d avenge his blood, was murdered on a Sabbath night two and a half years ago by a murderer who had been released just two days earlier from Israeli prison. He couldn't hold himself back! These terrorists are murderers, and whoever releases them are their partners in murder..."
The families hope that the public is sufficiently attuned to the importance of the trial and will attend the court hearing.
The incident occurred on June 15 of last year, when two 9th grade girls were standing at the Rechelim junction on Highway 60, waiting for a ride from Jewish passersby southwards towards Jerusalem. A car passed slowly by, turned around, then turned around again, and suddenly two armed Arabs got out and tried to catch the two girls. One of the girls was able to escape, watching helplessly as the Arabs tried to force her friend into their car.
At that moment, a car carrying an IDF officer happened along - and the kidnappers left the girl and tried to escape. The officer radioed the local forces to erect checkpoints along the road. Shortly afterwards, a white Chevrolet with the three Arabs was stopped near Shilo, and they were arrested without further incident.
It was later found that the terrorists had already dug a grave for their intended victims.
One of the girls was evacuated by ambulance to a Jerusalem hospital, with back and face injuries. She was released soon afterwards to recover from her physical injuries, but her emotional state did not allow her to return to school. However, after a few months in a different school in Jerusalem, she is now back with her friends in her original school. Both girls have "picked themselves up" and are doing even better in school than before, family members say.
But they demand justice. Incensed at the fact that the prosecution has come to a plea bargain with the terrorists, they continue to demand life imprisonment for those who tried to murder them. One of them will be in court on Wednesday to make the plea in person.
The three terrorists are no longer being charged with trading in weapons or giving shelter to terrorists, but only with the attempted kidnapping. The Prosecution has agreed that it will not request a sentence of more than 17 years in prison.
One of the girls, Hadass of Beit El, plans to tell the court on Wednesday, "Please remember all the preparations that went into this crime - the daring, the instructions, the way they obtained weapons, rented a car, recruited people, and they even dug a grave! They dug a grave for my friend Emunah and me - everything was ready! And so they set out. There were a few problems: one of the men quit, the car broke down, but they were determined to murder. They passed by the bus stop where we were sitting, Emunah and I, and then they decided that we were good targets for being murdered. Why? Because we are weak and can't protect ourselves; they are contemptible murderers who seek out the weak... So they made two U-turns and came to us. They just didn't realize that G-d loves us... Does anyone here think that after they serve their punishment, they will be good people? Not at all; they will try to murder again. My uncle, Kobi Zaga, may G-d avenge his blood, was murdered on a Sabbath night two and a half years ago by a murderer who had been released just two days earlier from Israeli prison. He couldn't hold himself back! These terrorists are murderers, and whoever releases them are their partners in murder..."
The families hope that the public is sufficiently attuned to the importance of the trial and will attend the court hearing.