Convictions Upheld in Case of Jewish Terror Gang’s Murder of Three Palestinian Youth

Israel’s Supreme Court has rejected the appeal by three Jewish gang members who carried out a heinous terror attack in 2014. The trio kidnapped, beat and burned to death a Palestinian teenager. The gang of three was comprised of an adult who led two minors who have not been identified. The leader, Yosef Haim Ben-David, 33, appealed his conviction on a claim of insanity which was rejected. His life sentence – and that of one of the minors – was reaffirmed while the second minor will spend 21-years in prison. The horrendous crime followed a triple kidnapping/murder case that traumatized Israelis a short time before. Three teens who were hitchhiking were kidnapped and killed by Palestinians. The country was transfixed as a massive search continued for days until their bodies were discovered. That the kidnapping and burning to death of 16-year old Mohammed Abu Khdeir by the trio was seen as a revenge killing did nothing to lessen the anger it generated among Israelis and Palestinians.