Man sentenced to 39 months for assault on renowned chef Shalom Kadosh

The Jerusalem District Court on Thursday sentenced a man to 39 months in prison for the robbery of acclaimed Israeli chef Shalom Kadosh, who was seriously wounded during the incident last year.

According to the indictment, 41-year-old East Jerusalem resident Ali Adkidak took Kadosh’s wallet from his car at a gas station while the chef was checking his tire pressure.

Kadosh, 74, chased Adkidak and grabbed his hand in an attempt to stop him.

“In order to escape with the money, the suspect turned and forcibly pushed the vehicle owner to the ground with his right hand, in order to free himself from his grip,” the indictment read. “As a result of his actions, Kadosh fell, hitting his head hard on the road and he suffered fractures to his skull and fractures to his neck.”

After the incident, Kadosh was rushed to Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in serious condition, where he was put on a ventilator. He regained consciousness a number of weeks later.

Adkidak has a prior criminal record and had been jailed until shortly before the attack, Hebrew media reports said.

The robbery took place hours before the wedding of Kadosh’s daughter.

Adkidak initially denied the allegations, telling police investigators that Kadosh was hurt because he “got entangled” with a hose at the gas station.

However, as part of a plea deal, Adkidak was sentenced to 33 months in prison for grievous bodily harm, with the court imposing an additional previous suspended sentence of six and a half months. Adkidak was also sentenced to pay a NIS 150,000 ($47,000) fine.

Kadosh is considered one of the best-known chefs in Israel, cooking for many world leaders.

In January 2020 he prepared the food for the World Holocaust Forum in Israel, which included 41 heads of state.