Eliran Malul, who is accused of murdering his wife Michal Selah in October 2019, on Wednesday morning gave testimony for the first time since his arrest, Israel Hayom reported.
Malul was arrested after he brought the couple's eight-month-old daughter to their neighbors and told them that he and his wife had attempted a double suicide. The neighbors called Magen David Adom, who arrived at the scene, found Selah dead and Malul in serious condition, and brought Malul to the hospital. He is accused of murdering Selah, but until now has refused to testify in court.
Michal's sister and her husband adopted the baby in the meantime, and several months ago the courts stripped Malul of his parental rights.
Speaking at the Jerusalem District Court, Malul said his wife attacked him first, beating him and then stabbing him.
"Michal used my weakness and I lost my freedom," he accused. "On Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year - ed.) two years ago, I received the first blow. I came home exhausted in the afternoon, and Michal told me we needed to clean the house. She insisted we take all of the things out of the storage room and clean. I told her I was tired and she just came up to me and slapped me. I was shocked."
"On the day of the incident, I did an evaluation at Ort College. I walked past Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market and out of joy, I smoked a bit of green. In the afternoon, Michal was in a treatment and we went home together. She said, 'The house is upside down, start cleaning.' I told her that I want to play a bit with my daughter. Afterwards, I told her that I need the car the next day. She said, 'You're not taking the car, I'll take you to work.' I was hit. I didn't respond to the insults."
Afterwards, he said, Michal continued to her friends, and he was left at home with their daughter. "The girl fell asleep and woke up twice. I called Michal but I didn't manage to catch her. I sent her a few messages."
When Michal came home, she accused: "'Why would you call me? Why are you contacting me when I went to treatments with women? Does it bother you? Are you jealous?' Michal turned the house upside down. I got annoyed."
"I told her, 'How much more of this can I take?' She was in the kitchen, she came to me with a knife and stabbed me a few times. I froze and screamed. I didn't understand where it was coming from. I sat on the couch and I told her to call Magen David Adom. She told me, 'It'll all be fine, you deserve it, you shouldn't be alive.'"
Later, Malul said that he drank alcohol until he fainted, and when he woke up he saw the house covered in blood and Michal lying on the ground lifeless.
"I wanted to open the door of the house and it was locked. I found the key and I called to the neighbors to call for help. I miss my baby and I ask forgiveness. I know what it means to be an orphan, and I am happy that in the meantime she is with good people."