Israeli Victim Condemns Light Sentence for Terrorist Who Attacked His Car Near Beit El

Over four years ago, Yair Cohen was attacked near Beit El by a terrorist armed with a knife, acid, and a block. The assailant, Mohammad Maawiya Khalil Odeh, ambushed Cohen’s car intending to cause serious harm by smashing the window and throwing acid inside. Cohen had reinforced his vehicle’s windows months earlier after a similar fatal attack on a friend, which prevented the window from fully breaking and likely saved his life. The attacker was stopped by reserve soldier Elhanan Klein, who arrived shortly after and shot the terrorist in the legs to prevent further harm. Klein was later killed in a separate terror attack.

Cohen describes the day of the attack as a life-changing event, dividing his life into before and after the incident. Despite the severity of the attack and the terrorist’s clear intent to murder at least two Jewish individuals, the military court sentenced the attacker to only seven and a half years in prison, starting from his arrest over four years ago. This effectively means the terrorist could be released soon. The court also ordered the terrorist to pay Cohen 5,000 shekels in compensation.

Cohen and the prosecution expressed outrage at the lenient sentence, with prosecutors describing it as unprecedentedly light and shocking. Cohen criticized the legal process for treating the case like a neighborhood dispute rather than a nationalistic murder attempt. He also emphasized that the voice of Elhanan Klein, who was also targeted by the terrorist and later murdered, was not heard in court. Cohen and the prosecution plan to appeal the verdict.

The attack occurred on a Friday near a construction site where the terrorist hid before ambushing Cohen’s car. Cohen’s quick thinking and vehicle precautions prevented a worse outcome. The case highlights ongoing challenges in prosecuting terror attacks in the West Bank and the frustrations of victims with the judicial outcomes.