E. J'lem Arabs charged in Silwan attack

3 suspects indicted for attempted murder in Beit Yehonatan incident.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
silwan beit yehonatan jeep 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski )
silwan beit yehonatan jeep 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski )
Three east Jerusalem residents were charged with attempted murder Wednesday, at the Jerusalem District Court. Two brothers and an additional man were accused of attempting to murder security guards, by opening fire while they were guarding Jewish residents in Beit Yehonatan, located in the Silwan neighborhood.
The prosecution requested that the men, Issa Abassi, 25, Taed Fataafta, 26 and Mussa Fataafta, 24, all from Jabal Mukabar, be detained until the end of the court proceedings against them, due to fears that they would be a security threat.
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According to the indictment, the men planned to shoot at the jeep that escorted Jewish residents in Beit Yehonatan. They equipped themselves with hand guns, loaded them, and placed themselves next to the course of the jeep and waited for it to arrive. Taed Fataafta and Abassi waited at the entrance of the local mosque whilst Musa Fataafta stayed with the vehicle and acted as a look out.
After an hour the jeep passed and the two men pulled out their hand guns and fired at the jeep. Eleven shots were fired from Abassi's gun and hit the right side of the jeep while Fataafta's gun became jammed and did not function during the attack. The security guard on the jeep suffered injuries to his leg and damage was caused to the jeep.
In an additional charge, the Fataafta brothers were found guilty of hurling Molotov cocktails at Border Police vehicles in Silwan.
Taed Fataafta was also charged with threatening a shop owner with a gun over the course of the last year. According to the indictment, he arrived at the shop armed with a gun and fired two bullets into the air.
In other news, Police in Jerusalem have begun preparations for "widespread disturbances" that are expected to follow the demolition of illegal homes in Silwan, Public Security Minister Yitzhak Ahronovitch told the Knesset on Wednesday.