(MENAFN) The Jerusalem District Court acquitted a soldier who had been indicted about a year and a half ago for allegedly burning a house in the Arab village of Um Safa in the Binyamin region, following the fatal attack on settlers in Aley in June 2023, in which four settlers were killed. The soldier had faced charges of terrorism, racially motivated assault, and arson. However, the court found insufficient evidence to prove the charges and convicted him only of rioting, as he had been present at the scene without the alleged racist intent.

Judge Hannah Mariam Lumph explained that after reviewing both the prosecution and defense evidence, there was reasonable doubt about whether the soldier had committed the specific acts, such as setting fire to a chair or throwing stones. Therefore, the soldier was acquitted. The judge did, however, criticize the soldier for joining the rioters, stating that upon arriving at the village and witnessing the violent events, he should have refrained from entering the area and should not have concealed his face.

The soldier's lawyer, David Halevy, expressed satisfaction with the court’s ruling, lamenting the undue suffering his client endured due to unjustified detention and a lengthy judicial process. Halevy emphasized that from the start, there had been external pressure to prosecute the soldier, despite weak evidence. He praised the court for ultimately delivering justice.

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