Jerusalem District Court Convict in Abu Khdeir Murder Dies in Prison

Yosef Haim Ben David, a central figure convicted in the 2014 murder of Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir, died on Thursday in prison. The Jerusalem District Court had previously ruled that Ben David committed the murder for nationalistic reasons.

Ben David was convicted of murder, kidnapping for the purpose of murder, and assault causing injury, among other offenses. The court determined that he was fully aware of his actions, in control, and capable of refraining from committing the crimes. This ruling followed an extensive evaluation of his mental state, which ultimately found him fit to stand trial.

In February 2018, the Supreme Court rejected the appeals of Abu Khdeir's murderers, emphasizing that the murder necessitated a "sharp reckoning" within Israeli society regarding racism and its consequences. The court affirmed the factual account of the events: Ben David and his two minor nephews planned the revenge killing following the abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers.

They disguised themselves and drove to the Beit Hanina neighborhood in northern Jerusalem. After confirming Abu Khdeir was Arab, they assaulted him, forced him into their car, and drove to the Jerusalem Forest. During the drive, the nephews choked Abu Khdeir unconscious. Upon arrival, Ben David struck him with a pipe. Ben David and one of the nephews then poured gasoline on the body, and Ben David set it ablaze before they fled the scene.

Ben David had argued that his mental state contributed to his involvement, but the Supreme Court clarified that he was in complete control and his psychological issues did not meet the threshold for insanity. Consequently, the court found no grounds to reduce his sentence or change his conviction from murder to manslaughter.