Families of Duma victims, alleged murderers, call each other killers as Ben Uliel arraigned
Members of the Dawabshe family shouted “Allahu akbar” and “murderers” at Oriane Ben Uliel, Amiram’s wife, while she shot back with “you are the terrorists!”
By YONAH JEREMY BOBUpdated: MARCH 3, 2016 07:02A man looks out of a house badly damaged by a firebomb attack by suspected Jewish extremists in the Palestinian village of Duma in the West Bank, July 31, 2015(photo credit: REUTERS)
Supporters and members of the Dawabsha family and those of the alleged murderer exchanged heated words outside the Lod District Court hearing room where Amiram Ben-Uliel was arraigned on Wednesday.Members of the Dawabsha family shouted “Allahu akbar” and “murderers” at Oriane Ben-Uliel, Amiram’s wife, while she shot back with “You are the terrorists!” Ben-Uliel is accused of carrying out the July arson attack on the Dawabsha family home in Duma, 25 km.southeast of Nablus, which killed 18-month-old Ali and his parents, Sa’ad and Riham.He was indicted on January 3 for murder, along with a minor whose name remains under gag order.He has been charged with three counts of murder, attempted murder, arson and conspiracy to commit a racist- motivated felony. He could face multiple life sentences if convicted.On Wednesday, Ben-Uliel denied the charges in a closed door court session.In the media, Ben-Uliel has leaked the claim that a detailed confession he gave to the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) was a false statement that he made up under torture and duress.The indictment alleged Ben- Uliel and the minor’s conduct as follows: In June, the two discussed ways they could take revenge on Palestinians following the murder of Malachi Rosenfeld, 26, shot by Hamas terrorists near Shvut Rachel in the Binyamin region on June 29.On July 30, Ben-Uliel left his house wearing heavy clothing and a backpack to meet with the minor at the Yishuv Hada’at outpost, also in the Binyamin region.When the minor did not show up without explanation, and after Ben-Uliel had waited for a while, he decided to perpetrate the terrorist attack on his own, according to the indictment.
Ben-Uliel reached Duma and then tied part of a shirt around his face to obscure his identity, and donned gloves.He checked for a house that showed signs of people being present, to ensure that he would be able to kill people as opposed to burning an abandoned house, the indictment states.Upon choosing the house of Mamoun Dawabsha, he allegedly spray-painted “Revenge” and “Long live the Messiah” on its walls, and threw a firebomb through the window with intent to kill those present, though despite his efforts, that house was empty at the time.Next, he moved on to the house of Sa’ad, Riham and Ali Dawabsha, but at first failed to open two different windows to attack the house with his second firebomb, the indictment says.Eventually, he found a third window leading to the bedroom where the Dawabshas were sleeping, and threw the Molotov cocktail inside.All four walls of the house were engulfed in flames, eventually killing three of the four family members, according to the indictment.Ben-Uliel then fled the scene, the indictment says.