Supreme Court Increases Sentence for Father and Son Who Brutally Attacked Lawyer

Israel's Supreme Court has increased the prison sentences for a father and son convicted of a brutal assault on lawyer Ronen Bar Tzvi. The attack, which occurred in July 2025 while Bar Tzvi was working to evict a tenant from an apartment in Jaffa, left the lawyer with severe, permanent brain damage, rendering him completely dependent on others. The son, who was a minor at the time of the assault, had his sentence increased from four years to six years and eight months. His father, Ibrahim Negar, will serve three years, up from his original two-year sentence.

According to the indictment, Negar sought to purchase an apartment adjacent to his home at a below-market price and intimidated the owner to prevent its rental. He subsequently rented the apartment to others without permission. When Bar Tzvi was hired to handle the eviction, Negar confronted him. The son then emerged from behind, punching Bar Tzvi repeatedly in the head and neck, and continued to kick him in the head even after he fell to the ground. Bar Tzvi managed to escape but collapsed unconscious, later calling the police before being rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

Medical examinations revealed Bar Tzvi suffered a head injury. The prosecution stated that after the attack, Negar and his son attempted to obstruct the investigation by hiding evidence and influencing witnesses. The Tel Aviv District Court had initially sentenced the son to four years and the father to two years.

The State Prosecutor's Office appealed the leniency of the sentences, arguing they did not reflect the severity of the attack, the irreversible damage to the lawyer, or the subsequent obstruction of justice. The prosecution emphasized that the son's limited rehabilitation prospects and the danger he posed warranted a significant deterrent sentence, despite his age.

Justice Noam Solberg, in his decision, described the son's "wild violence" as having "shattered Ronen's life" and irrevocably altered the lives of his loved ones. He noted that Bar Tzvi, once active and devoted, is now a "broken vessel," having lost his physical and cognitive independence and suffering from severe, permanent brain damage, with limited speech and inability to recognize loved ones. The court acknowledged the prosecution's description of Bar Tzvi as having "a certain measure of life in this inanimate body, but no trace remains of the victim from his previous life."

Regarding the father, the court considered his central role in the criminal scheme, his significant prior record, lack of genuine remorse, and systematic efforts to impede the investigation. The Supreme Court accepted the prosecution's position, rejecting the appeal by the father and son and increasing their sentences. The court highlighted the need to raise the sentencing standard for violent offenses by minors, citing a "worrying trend of escalation in serious violence among teenagers" that requires "zero tolerance" and a higher sentencing threshold.