Killing of David Ben Avraham

Shooting of a Palestinian man in the West Bank

Killing of David Ben Avraham

Part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Bodycam footage taken by the Israeli reservist, showing Ben Avraham with his hands on his head moments before he was killed.

Elazar

class=notpageimage|

Location in the West Bank

Location| Near settlement of Elazar in the Israeli-occupied West Bank
Coordinates| 31°39′36″N 35°8′31″E﻿ / ﻿31.66000°N 35.14194°E﻿ / 31.66000; 35.14194
Date| 21 March 2024

Attack type

| Shooting
Deaths| 1 (Ben Avraham)
Perpetrator|  Israel Defense Forces

On 21 March 2024, David Ben Avraham (Hebrew: דוד בן אברהם), originally Sameh Zaytoun (Arabic: سامح زيتون), was a 63-year-old Palestinian Jewish convert who was shot and killed by an Israeli reservist soldier near the settlement Elazar in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.[1] When Ben Avraham got out of a taxi, the soldier approached him and asked for his name and whether he was Jewish, to which Ben Avraham responded by disclosing his name and confirming that he was Jewish. In the ensuing argument, the soldier pointed his rifle at Ben Avraham and threatened to kill him if he reached for his bag on the ground; Ben Avraham then complied with the soldier's orders by putting his hands on his hand and stepping away from his bag, but was nevertheless shot dead.[2]

A knife was later found in Ben Avraham's bag, but The Times of Israel reported that there was no evidence that he posed a threat. The Israel Defense Forces opened an investigation into what it called a "grave" incident, but the reservist was released within a week by an Israeli court.[3] The Israeli Interior Ministry posthumously approved an Israeli residence status that Ben Avraham had been seeking.[2] The Jerusalem Post said this killing joins a series of "wrongful mistaken killings" of Jewish-Israelis and Arab-Israelis that have occurred since 7 October, "in which, to date, the prosecution and courts have been extremely lenient on the killers".[4]

Ben Avraham was a resident of Hebron and had converted to Judaism from Islam a number of years ago in Bnei Brak, Israel, having been inspired by his grandfather who saved 25 Jews during the 1929 Hebron massacre. Following his conversion, he was jailed by the Palestinian Authority for 58 days in 2019. The Israeli government repeatedly denied his applications for Israeli citizenship due to him being Palestinian.[2]

## Background[edit]

CCTV footage of Ben Avraham's confrontation with the Israeli soldier and the subsequent shooting The Israeli soldier's bodycam footage showing the altercation with Ben Avraham, moments before he was killed

Born Sameh Muhammad Abd al-Rai Zaytoun (Arabic: سامح محمد عبد الراي زيتون),[5][6] Ben Avraham had converted to Judaism from Islam a number of years ago in honour of his grandfather, who had saved 25 Jews during the 1929 Hebron massacre. Zaytoun's attempts to formalize his conversion were rebuffed several times by Israeli authorities until he eventually succeeded in the Israeli city of Bnei Brak, where he changed his name to David Ben Avraham. After his conversion, Ben Avraham's applications for Israeli citizenship had been repeatedly denied due to him being Palestinian.[7][2] Avraham was a resident of Hebron.[8]

In 2019, Ben Avraham was arrested and jailed by the Palestinian Authority for 58 days in Hebron, where he was reportedly tortured by guards and attacked and beaten by other inmates.[7][8] Palestinian religious figures would visit him to convince him to retract his conversion to Judaism, which he declined.[7] A number of Israelis rallied on Ben Avraham's behalf, including a Hebron resident who organized a hunger strike for Ben Avraham's release.[9]

## Killing[edit]

According to available CCTV and bodycam footage reported on by The Times of Israel, Ben Avraham exited a taxi on the morning of 21 March 2024 near the settlement of Elazar in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.[2] An Israeli reservist then approached and pointed his gun at him, asked him if he was Jewish, to which he responded affirmatively. The reservist, who seemed unconvinced, proceeds to ask about his name, to which he responded: "David Ben Avraham, idiot." After Ben Avraham tries to reach for his bag, the soldier tells him to put his hands up saying: "Touch that and I’ll kill you, do you understand me?" Ben Avraham complies, raising his hands and stepping away from the bag. The reservist again says "Jew," before killing him.[1][10][11] The Jerusalem Post reported that Ben Avraham did not do anything suspicious other than get off at a bus location near Jewish residence that Palestinians did not typically use.[4]

Later it was found that there was a knife in Ben Avraham's bag, but The Times of Israel reported that there was no evidence that he posed a threat and the Israeli military opened an investigation into what it called a "grave incident".[2][12][13][4][14][15]

The reservist's attorneys opined that "we do not doubt that the investigation will clarify the chain of events and the case [of David Ben Avraham] will end with an additional excellence award awarded to the soldier".[2] The attorneys also said that the soldier "recently was honored for his bravery in thwarting the ramming attack that took place about three weeks ago in Gush Etzion."[2] Israeli law does not allow use of lethal force in cases where an arrest is easily achievable.[4]

The reservist was detained by authorities, but was released by 27 March 2024 by the order of an Israeli military court judge, who noted that the reservist had several reasons to believe that Ben Avraham to be a "terrorist". The Israeli judge noted that Ben Avraham exited a taxi with Palestinian license plates near a settlement; that he told the reservist that he was going to Jerusalem despite allegedly not having a permit to enter Jerusalem; that he spoke Hebrew with an Arabic accent; that a knife was later found in his bag; that soldiers had been warned of potential "terrorist" activity; and that he had lowered his hands.[3]

Over 350 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers in the occupied West Bank since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on 7 October 2023.[7] The Jerusalem Post said this killing joins a series of "wrongful mistaken killings" of Jewish-Israelis and Arab-Israelis that have occurred since 7 October, "in which, to date, the prosecution and courts have been extremely lenient on the killers".[4]

After Ben Avraham's death, Israeli Minister of Interior Moshe Arbel granted Ben Avraham's request for Israeli residency, with Arbel commenting that this was to fulfil Ben Avraham's "last wish to be part of the Israeli people", as a form of "justice, even if it is too late and under tragic circumstances".[2][16]

## See also[edit]

* Killing of Eyad al-Hallaq

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Israeli forces kill Palestinian convert to Judaism in West Bank: Spokesman". AFP. Al Arabiya. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Disturbing video shows Jewish convert fatally shot by IDF in West Bank posed no threat". Times of Israel. 29 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
3. ^ a b Kubovich, Yaniv; Shezaf, Hagar (27 March 2024). "Military court releases reservist who fatally shot a Palestinian convert to Judaism in West Bank". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 3 April 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
4. ^ a b c d e "IDF probes soldiers for mistakenly killing Palestinian convert to Judaism". Jerusalem Post. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
5. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (21 March 2024). "IDF probing fatal shooting of Palestinian convert to Judaism in West Bank". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 29 March 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
6. ^ "Video shows an Israeli soldier questioning a 63-year-old Palestinian man if he is Jewish before shooting him". Middle East Monitor. 29 March 2024. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
7. ^ a b c d "Palestinian who converted to Judaism shot dead by Israeli soldier in West Bank". Middle East Eye. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
8. ^ a b Kampeas, Ron (22 March 2024). "IDF is investigating after troops kill Palestinian who converted to Judaism to honor his grandfather, who rescued Jews". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
9. ^ "Palestinian who converted to Judaism mistakenly killed by IDF". www.israelhayom.com. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
10. ^ "فيديو يُظهر لحظة قتل جندي إسرائيلي فلسطينيا "يهوديا" (فيديو)" (in Arabic). Al Jazeera. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
11. ^ "Palestinian man who converted to Judaism killed by reservists in Gush Etzion". Ynet. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
12. ^ "Video shows an Israeli soldier questioning a 63-year-old Palestinian man if he is Jewish before shooting him". Middle East Monitor. 29 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
13. ^ "Palestinian who converted to Judaism mistakenly killed by IDF". Israel Hayom. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
14. ^ "مقتل فلسطيني اعتنق اليهودية برصاص إسرائيلي". Al Hurra. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
15. ^ "Israeli army kills 6 Palestinians in West Bank: sources". Xinhau. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
16. ^ "Israel's interior minister approves Palestinian convert's residency request". The Jerusalem Post. 29 March 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.