Murder of Itamar Ben Gal

{{Short description|2018 stabbing attack on civilians in Ariel, West Bank}}

{{Infobox civilian attack

| title = Murder of Itamar Ben Gal

| partof = the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

| image = City of Ariel, 2013.jpg

| caption = Ariel, where the attack took place

| map = {{Location map|Israel shomron|caption=|float=center}}

|map_caption=The attack site

| location = Ariel, West Bank

| native_name = הפיגוע בצומת אריאל (2018)

| native_name_lang = heb

| coordinates = {{coord|32|06|25|N|35|09|54|E|region:IL_type:event|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| date = {{start date and age|2018|02|05|df=yes}}

| time = {{circa}} 10:45 am

| timezone = UTC+2

| type = Stabbing

| fatalities = 1 civilian (+1 during clashes)

| victim = Itamar Ben Gal

| perpetrator =

| assailant = Abed al-Karim Adel Assi

| weapons = Knife

| motive = Anti-semitism

}}

On 5 February 2018, 29-year-old rabbi Itamar Ben Gal from Har Brakha, was stabbed to death at the Ariel Junction, near the West Bank Israeli settlement and city of Ariel. The assailant had escaped from the scene, but was arrested following a six-week manhunt. A protester was killed during a violent demonstration against searching for the suspect.

Incident

The attack occurred at a bus stop at the Ariel Junction, on Highway 5. On 5 February 2018, a rabbi was attacked by a man who fatally stabbed him multiple times in the upper body.{{Cite news|url=http://m.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/One-person-seriously-wounded-in-stabbing-attack-in-Ariel-540715|title=Israeli stabbed to death in West Bank attack, assailant on the loose|work=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com|access-date=2018-02-05}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-critically-hurt-in-apparent-terror-stabbing-attack-in-west-bank/|title=Israeli killed in terror stabbing attack in West Bank|access-date=2018-02-05|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5090186,00.html|title=Man stabbed in Ariel terror attack pronounced dead; terrorist escaped|date=2018-05-02|work=Ynetnews|access-date=2018-02-05}}

The perpetrator is said to have decided to kill a Jew during an argument with a policeman at a road junction near Ariel. He purchased two knives, each 27-centimeters-long, at a store in Nablus, and returned to the junction. There, he identified Rabbi Ben Gal as a Jew due to the fact that he was wearing a kippah. He attacked Ben Gal, and gave chase when Ben Gal ran away. The perpetrator was stopped from pursuing his victim when he was struck by a passing car.

Perpetrator

Abed al-Karim Adel Assi (alt. Abd al-Hakim Asi), a 19 year-old Israeli Arab resident of Jaffa, was behind the attack.{{cite news |last=Porat |first=Ido Ben |date=6 February 2018 |title='My husband will not return to the community he loved so much' |url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/241594 |work=Arutz Sheva |access-date=6 February 2018}} His parents are separated. Assis' father lives in Nablus; his mother lives in Haifa. Assis is known to have resided at one time in a home for at-risk youth and to have received social services aid over the years.{{cite news|last1=Magid|first1=Jacob|title=Ariel terrorist has Israeli citizenship, lived in Jaffa|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/ariel-terrorist-has-israeli-citizenship-lived-in-jaffa/|accessdate=6 February 2018|publisher=Times of Israel|date=5 February 2018}}

Manhunt

During the manhunt for Assi, there were clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian rioters in the city of Nablus, and the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that a Palestinian man, Khaled Tayeh, died.{{cite news |title=One Palestinian reported killed, 110 wounded in clashes with IDF|publisher=Jerusalem Post |date=6 February 2018|url=http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/PA-Health-Ministry-says-one-killed-in-clashes-with-IDF-540889 |accessdate=6 February 2018}}

The six-week manhunt ended with capture of the perpetrator.{{cite news|last1=Ahronheim|first1=Anna|title=Security forces capture terrorist who stabbed Itamar Ben-Gal to death|url=http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Security-forces-capture-terrorist-who-stabbed-Itamar-Ben-Gal-to-death-545368|accessdate=18 March 2018|publisher=Jerusalem Post|date=18 March 2017}}

Legal proceedings

Assi was indicted for murder and charged with selecting his victim because he was a Jew.{{cite news|title=Arab-Israeli terrorist indicted for stabbing rabbi in West Bank|url=https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/171095-180329-israel-indicts-arab-israeli-terrorist-for-stabbing-rabbi-in-west-bank|accessdate=1 May 2018|publisher=i24News|date=29 March 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Berger |first1=Yotam |title=Israeli Arab Terrorist Behind Murder of West Bank Rabbi Charged Abed al-Hakim Asi identified Rabbi Itamar Ben Gal as Jewish by his clothing and skullcap, prosecution says, confirming attack was politically motivated |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-israeli-arab-terrorist-behind-murder-of-west-bank-rabbi-charged-1.5959060 |accessdate=24 December 2018 |publisher=Haaretz |date=29 March 2018}} He was convicted.{{cite news |title=Arab Israeli convicted over fatal stabbing of rabbi in West Bank |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/arab-israeli-convicted-over-fatal-stabbing-of-rabbi-in-west-bank/ |accessdate=30 July 2019 |publisher=Times of Israel |date=11 July 2019}}