Murdered soldier’s parents call for death penalty against killers

The parents of murdered IDF soldier Ron Kokia call for the death penalty for their son’s murderers, identified in an indictment Sunday as two Bedouin Israelis, Khaled Abu Jaudah, 22, from an unrecognized Bedouin village in southern Israel, and his half-brother Zahi Abu Jaudah, 22.

At the Beersheba District Court, Boaz Kokia, Ron’s father, insists “the punishment has to be comprehensive: the death penalty, which is what I think murderers deserve, or a very long sentence.

“I call on the court to be tough with the murderers and their family members who contributed to the murder with their criminal behavior,” Boaz says. “This is important to give us, the family of the victim, justice, and also to deter other potential murderers. The punishment also has to be economic, like stripping away benefits and fines that compensate the state for the expenses incurred by the murder.”

Ron’s mother Levana Kokia also urges the death penalty: “I hope to see the murderer with a black bag over his head, that’s what I hope for. But it looks like we won’t get a hanging and we won’t get a death sentence, but we’ll go as far as we can.”

Boaz calls for the murderer and his family to be ostracized by all Israelis, Jews and Bedouin alike, “to send a clear message from everyone against violence of any sort and for any reason. This violence hurts everyone, and Bedouin citizens most of all.”