Israeli Court Sentences Four to Five Years for Stone-Throwing Attacks on Jews During May 2021 Riots

A Beersheba District Court judge sentenced Ziad Abu Aish, Yosef Badr, Zakaria Altsanae, and Baker Abid to five years in prison each for their roles in violent riots during Operation Guardian of the Walls in May 2021. The defendants pleaded guilty in plea agreements to charges including throwing stones at vehicles, intentional damage motivated by racism, and rioting. On the night of May 10-11, 2021, they joined dozens of others in blocking Highway 6 near Lakia with burning tires and threw stones at cars identified as carrying Jewish passengers, shouting "Jew, Jew."

One driver was rescued after her car was pelted with stones and set on fire. Another incident involved an innocent Thai citizen mistakenly targeted as Jewish, and a third involved a driver injured after his vehicle was stoned. The prosecution emphasized the defendants’ active participation in violent nationalist riots that severely harmed public security, the rule of law, and national cohesion during a sensitive military operation. The court stressed the need for deterrent sentencing to prevent similar future incidents.

Judge Alon Gavizon described the riots as "like fire in a field of dry grass," capable of sparking further violence nationwide. He highlighted the dangerous dynamic where individual accountability is obscured within a mob, escalating the severity of offenses. Alongside the prison terms, the defendants received suspended sentences, a 10,000 shekel fine, and 7,000 shekels in compensation to victims. The ruling sends a firm message of zero tolerance for racially motivated violence and civil unrest in Israel.