Lod rioters who pelted driver in deadly 2021 incident sentenced to 12-14 years

The Lod District Court sentences seven men to between 12 and 14 years in prison for their role in the death of Yigal Yehoshua in 2021 during a riot that took place during a short war in Gaza that year.

The seven men, all Arab Israeli citizens, were convicted in May this year on charges of causing injury with terrorist motivations and other crimes, over their role in pelting Yehoshua’s car with rocks, bricks and other objects as he made his way to his home in Lod in May 2021.

The seven men were originally charged with causing Yehoshua’s death, but due to “significant evidentiary problems” were convicted on the lesser charges in a plea bargain.

In handing down the sentences, the Lod court noted that the assailants had been “triggered” by a rock-throwing incident committed by Jewish rioters in the city prior to the fatal attack on Yehoshua, and that the seven Arab men had not acted in a premeditated manner.

The court finds, however, that the attack on Yehoshua was carried out with “nationalistic motivations and as an act of terrorism.”

Alongside the prison sentences, the court awards Yehoshua’s family NIS 900,000 ($268,000) in compensation from the attackers.