Two Israeli Policemen Convicted in Death of Palistinian Teenager

Two Israeli border policemen have been convicted of manslaughter after they kidnapped a Palestinian teenager, 17-year-old Amran Abu Hamadiya, and threw him from a moving jeep. The death came during a day in which Shachar Botbeka, Denis Alhazov, and two other officers terrorized Palestinians in Hebron with tear gas, stun grenades, beatings and abductions.

While the investigation and convictions are a credit to the system, the charge of manslaughter rather than murder and terrorism is difficult to understand. The Court found that these men went on a rampage through the city and had to pry the fingers of the victim from the straps of the car to throw him out. Even if they claim that they did not want to kill him, they took actions clearly designed to cause seriously bodily injury or death.

The other two officers took plea agreements, but all four appear to be engaged in a premeditated act of terrorism against the population. While the two men now face 20 years, the charge is a bit hard to understand in the circumstances.

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