Joseph Haim Ben-David, Killer of Teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir, Dies

Joseph Haim Ben-David, the primary defendant in the murder case of teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir, died on Thursday. He was transferred from prison to a hospital, where his death was pronounced. Ben-David and two other convicted youths abducted and murdered the 16-year-old Abu Khdeir from Shuafat in July 2014. The murder occurred the night after the funerals of three Israeli teenagers, Naftali Fraenkel, Gil-ad Shaar, and Eyal Yifrah, and was carried out as revenge for their kidnapping and murder in June of that year, prior to Operation Protective Edge.

According to the conviction, on the evening of July 2, after preparation and equipping themselves, the three set out to carry out the "revenge operation" in memory of the three boys. For three hours, they searched for a suitable victim in the Wadi Joz and Beit Hanina neighborhoods. Around 4:00 AM, they spotted Abu Khdeir leaving his home to go to the mosque for prayers. During the car ride, two of the youths held Abu Khdeir, who struggled with them, while Ben-David ordered one of them to "finish him." The youth then strangled Abu Khdeir until he lost consciousness.

Upon arriving at the Jerusalem Forest, one of the youths became angry at Ben-David, stating that "they were doing all the work." In response, Ben-David took a crowbar and beat Abu Khdeir, shouting "This is for the Fogel family" and "This is for Shlomo Nargassi," until blood ran from his head. He also kicked the teenager several times while shouting, "This is for Gilad, Naftali, Eyal." Afterward, they set Abu Khdeir, who was unconscious, on fire and fled the scene. They destroyed evidence in Sacher Park and then drove to Ben-David's home in the Adam settlement, where they played guitars and went to sleep. Ben-David was sentenced to life imprisonment plus 20 years.