Israeli Supreme Court released from prison a settler who attacked a Palestinian teen identified as Hilal Majaida, 18, on June 2005, before the Israeli pullout from the settlements there.
The settler led a group which attempted to murder Majaida; the group attacked the teen violently until the Israeli police arrived at the scene and took him away. ÂÂ
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Shimshon Sitrin was released from detention, but he was not acquitted from attempted murder, rioting, sabotage and violating travel restrictions, Israeli online daily Haaretz reported.
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Sitrin will be kept under house arrest at Sha’alvim, under the supervision of Rabbi Hanoch Herbes.
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Supreme Court Judge Edmund Levi made his decision to release the settler to house arrest, and to restrict his movements.
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“The court reached the conclusion that Sitrin understood the mistake he made”, Israeli online daily Haaretz reported.
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The judge claimed that the settler understood “that violence is not the way” to protect the land of Israel, but it is achieved by combining Torah studies with manual labor”.
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“The Palestinian youth was lying on the ground after being attacked settlers, Sitrin saw him and a soldier who was trying to protect him”, the indictment statement reads, “Sitrin picked up a stone, and threw it strongly on the youth’s head, in an attempt to kill him”.
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The bail was set by the court a 20.000 New Israeli Shekels (less than 4500 US Dollars); more money guarantees will be provided by rabbi Herbes. ÂÂ
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The Palestinian youth said that he does not remember much of the incident, he just remembers the Israeli officer, who is a member of Naveh Dikalim security, laying on top of him and trying to move the settlers away.
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Majaida fainted after a stone hit him in the head, and woke up in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
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Majaida is a resident of Al Mawassi, in Khan Younis.
