Murderer of Muhammad Abu Khdeir Neglected in Prison, Father Claims
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
The father of Yosef Haim Ben-David, who murdered Muhammad Abu Khdeir, is suing the Israel Prison Service (IPS) for neglect, claiming his son's repeated warnings about his deteriorating condition were ignored. Ben-David died on September 24, after suffering from psychiatric issues and receiving inadequate medical care, according to his family. The IPS has launched an internal investigation into the death, while asserting that all prisoners receive appropriate medical attention.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Yosef Haim Ben-David, murderer of Muhammad Abu Khdeir, died in prison on September 24.
- His father claims the Israel Prison Service neglected his son's deteriorating condition.
- Lawyers and family repeatedly warned of Ben-David's critical state before his death.
- Ben-David suffered from complex psychiatric issues, exacerbated by medication changes.
- The Israel Prison Service is conducting an internal investigation into the death.
The father of Yosef Haim Ben-David, the convicted murderer of Palestinian teenager Muhammad Abu Khdeir, has petitioned the court to investigate his son's death, alleging severe neglect by the Israel Prison Service (IPS). Rabbi Saadia Ben-David claims that Ben-David's lawyers and family repeatedly warned of his deteriorating mental and physical condition in the weeks leading up to his death on September 24, but their concerns were ignored.
According to the petition, Ben-David, who suffered from complex psychiatric issues that likely contributed to the murder, was hospitalized for psychiatric care the day before he died but was returned to his cell that same night. His family attributes his decline to a transfer between prisons and a change in his psychiatric medication, which they describe as an "uncontrolled" switch.
Ben-David's lawyer, Yitzhak Nativ, reported finding him "very confused" with memory impairment shortly after the prison transfer and medication change. Another lawyer, Eran Schwartz, alerted the prison commander about Ben-David's critical state, describing him as "convulsing, barely speaking, trembling, and frozen," and urgently requesting psychiatric evaluation. The petition details further instances of his decline and repeated pleas for treatment, even on the day before his death.
Ben-David, 42, was sentenced to life imprisonment plus 20 years for the 2014 abduction, beating, and burning of 16-year-old Abu Khdeir. His appeal based on insanity was rejected by the Supreme Court in 2018. The family learned of his death from a public IPS statement before being officially notified.
The IPS stated that the circumstances of Ben-David's death are under internal investigation, as is customary. They maintain that all prisoners receive medical treatment according to their condition and professional medical judgment, but declined to comment on specific details due to privacy and medical confidentiality. The service added that any claims should be investigated through the appropriate channels.
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