Accused Jewish terrorist Teitel undergoing psychiatric tests

Israeli-American allegedly led murderous lone-wolf campaign of violence targeting Palestinians, left-wing Israelis, police and Christians.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
teitel beardface peace sign courthouse (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski [file])
teitel beardface peace sign courthouse
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski [file])
Israeli-American terror suspect Jack Teitel, accused of a murderous lone-wolf campaign of violence targeting Palestinians, left-wing Israelis, police and Christians that claimed the lives of two Palestinians, recently begun a series of psychiatric tests at the Sha’ar Menashe Mental Health Center near Pardes Hana-Karkur, Teitel’s attorney told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
The tests, which are being carried out with the support of Jerusalem state prosecutors, were ordered last month by the Jerusalem District Court, where Teitel’s trial is underway, and are part of an effort to determine whether he is fit to stand trial.
Teitel, 35, from the Shvut Rahel settlement, 45 km. north of Jerusalem, went on trial in December over the 1997 homicides of Samir Balbisi, a taxi driver from east Jerusalem, and Isa Musa’af, a West Bank shepherd.
The many bomb-related charges against him also include allegedly sending a bomb to a family of Messianic Jews (Christians) in Ariel disguised as a Purim gift parcel in 2008, that severely wounded teenager Ami Oritz, who opened the package, and allegedly placing a pipe bomb outside the Jerusalem home of left-wing historian Prof. Ze’ev Sternhell in 2008. Sternhell was lightly wounded.
Jerusalem-based lawyer Asher Ohion took over the job of representing Teitel two months ago after attorney Adi Keidar quit.
Ohion said on Sunday that he did not wish to discuss his client’s psychiatric state before receiving the results of the tests and sharing them with the Jerusalem District Court.
The trial is scheduled to reconvene on May 17.
Shortly after his arrest on October 7 as he was hanging flyers in the Jerusalem’s Har Nof neighborhood in support of the attack on a Tel Aviv gay and lesbian youth club in August in which two people were killed, Keidar described Teitel as “mentally unstable,” adding that Teitel believed his alleged acts of violence were being carried out in accordance with a series of unmistakable signals and instructions from God.
Teitel told his Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) investigators ofdreams warning him that if he did not carry out the attacks, he woulddie. He viewed events like rocket attacks on Sderot as divinepunishment for transgressions by Israel. And he launched bomb attackson police targets because he believed these would persuade lawenforcement to refrain from securing gay pride marches in Jerusalem,Keidar said last year.
Teitel, who is married and has fourchildren, was found in possession of a large number of firearms whenShin Bet agents and police raided his property in Shvut Rahel.