The Honenu legal aid organization expressed outrage at the Supreme Court’s decision this week to reduce the sentences of two Palestinians convicted of participating in a violent lynching of a Jewish family that mistakenly entered an Arab village in northern Israel during Operation Guardian of the Walls in 2021. One of the terrorists was originally sentenced to seven years in prison, and the Supreme Court reduced his sentence to three years and four months. The sentence of another terrorist, which was initially four years in prison, was shortened to two years and nine months. According to the indictment, the Jewish family got lost and mistakenly entered the village, where they were brutally attacked by a mob of dozens of Arabs who threw stones at their vehicle. The Arabs then climbed on the car’s roof, smashed its windows, and forcibly tried to pull the family members out. The mother of the family protected her young children with her body and absorbed most of the blows and stones herself, including a direct hit to her face from a large stone thrown at close range. Only after much effort did the family manage to escape the severe lynching and were evacuated for medical treatment. Adv. Chaim Bleicher, who is representing the family, expressed anger and astonishment at the Supreme Court’s decision. “This is a scandalous decision that unacceptably lightens the punishment of terrorists who were partners in the attempted mass murder of an innocent Israeli family by a violent and bloodthirsty mob. At a time when Israeli citizens are facing an ongoing wave of terror and internal security is under threat, this decision by the Supreme Court directly harms punishment, deterrence, and security. Severe punishment for perpetrators of lynching and terrorism is essential for preserving the lives of Israeli citizens.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)