Israel’s Supreme Court has reduced the prison term meted out to one of two Arab terrorists who in 2015 attempted to murder Jews in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Pisgat Ze’ev.
The terrorist in question, Ahmed Manasra, was 13 years old at the time of the attack and nearly succeeded in his efforts. One of his victims was a Jewish boy his own age, who nearly died of the stab wounds he inflicted.
His 15-year-old cousin Hasan was shot and killed by police at the scene, but Manasra was wounded and received top Israeli medical care at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center.
Judge David Mintz agreed in response to his appeal to reduce the sentence from 12 years in prison to nine and a half years, saying the teenager “has so far gone a long way in his rehabilitation.”
Nevertheless, he must still pay punitive damages of NIS 100,000 to Naor Shalev, the Orthodox Jewish boy that he critically injured, and NIS 80,000 to the 21-year-old Jewish man he stabbed and seriously wounded as well.
“Being a minor does not mean immunity from punishment,” the judge pointed out during sentencing.
The families of the victims are extremely upset by the Supreme Court’s ruling, calling the decision disgraceful and delusional.
