An Israeli teenager who stabbed four Arab men in the southern city of Dimona in an apparent terror attack is indicted in the Beersheba District Court on four counts of attempted murder.
The youth, 17, is also accused of aggravated assault and causing aggravated bodily harm with racist intent.
The attack, which took place on October 9, saw the accused stab one man at a shopping center and then advance to another location next to a local school, where he stabbed three others. A security guard then tackled and restrained him until police arrived.
At the time, police termed the attack “nationalistic,” indicating that it was likely a retaliation for a spate of Palestinian attacks against Israelis, which have exacerbated Arab-Jewish tensions.
Questioned immediately after the attack, the suspect said he had stabbed the four because they were Arabs, and claimed he thinks “all Arabs are terrorists.”
The stabber’s attorney, far-right activist Itamar Ben Gvir, claims his client suffers from mental health issues and was under the influence of drugs during the attack.
However, a court-ordered psychiatric exam found that he was fit to stand trial.
— Times of Israel staff contributed
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From the Liveblog of
Monday, October 26, 2015
