Israel Matzav

Son and brother of Sbarro victims arrested for vandalizing Rabin memorial; UPDATED

A 27-year old man who lost both parents (and three siblings) in the Sbarro terror bombing was arrested in the wee hours of the morning on Friday and charged with defacing the Rabin memorial in Tel Aviv.

"I saw him throw the paint," a municipal security guard told The Jerusalem Post. "I ran up to him and grabbed him. I told him, 'don't resist.' He listened to me and remained calm," the guard added.

The guard said the suspect "appeared like an ordinary guy." The guard's colleagues witnessed the incident in a municipal control room on a CCTV video feed, and contacted police.

Police said that the suspect was a 27-year-old man from Givat Shmuel.

According to a Hebrew media report, the man lost both parents in the 2001 Sbarro suicide bombing, in which 15 civilians were killed and 130 injured.

According to an unconfirmed list released by Hamas Thursday, one of the terrorists involved in the Sbarro bombing was expected to be released in the prisoner exchange deal to free Gilad Schalit this week.

Police have not yet released an official statement over the incident, but confirmed that the man is in custody.

Well, we can make a pretty good guess who that was. I wish they would stop talking about it and just do it already.

By the way, I counted three terrorists who were involved in Sbarro on the list: Ahlam Tamimi, Husam Badran and Muhammad Duglas.

UPDATE 1:16 PM

YNet has named the person who defaced the Rabin memorial. They have also posted video of the event.

Let's go to the videotape. More after the video.

Nadav, an eye-witness, saw the man vandalizing the memorial. "I began crossing the junction towards him as he was finishing writing and pouring white paint. A municipal security guard chased after him. He entered a taxi and was forcefully taken out of it."

According to the eye-witness, the guard asked the suspect "why did you do it?" and he replied: "You don't know who I am, my family was murdered." He was then taken into questioning.

And Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai - the man who violated much that is sacred to many here in Israel by allowing pubs to open in Tel Aviv on Tisha b'Av (the day of the destruction of both Temples) thinks we're living in Iran.

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai fiercely condemned the act. "Hands that allow themselves to hurt what is sacred and important to the people of Israel must be cut off," he said.

Is he suggesting his own punishment?

Labels: Palestinian terrorism, Rabin memorial, Sbarro terror attack, terrorists for Gilad trade

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:18 AM