22.5 Years in Prison for Terrorist Who Attempted to Murder Elderly Woman in Jerusalem

The Jerusalem District Court sentenced 62-year-old Jerusalem resident Nabil Shaabani today to 22.5 years in prison after he was convicted of a terrorist act of attempted murder on nationalistic grounds and theft from a 74-year-old woman. According to the prosecution, Shaabani strangled the woman twice, stabbed her in the neck and chest, and stole jewelry and cash from her home.

According to the amended indictment, Shaabani, who had known the woman for years as her handyman, initially planned to carry out a stabbing attack against Jews near a light rail station. Upon arriving at her home to complete repairs, he decided to carry out the attack there instead.

Shaabani strangled the woman for several minutes and left the apartment believing she was dead. He later returned to retrieve a forgotten walking stick and, upon noticing she was still alive, strangled her again and stabbed her. The victim sustained serious injuries.

The Jerusalem District Attorney's Office requested a sentence of 22 to 26 years, highlighting the exploitation of the victim's trust, the cruelty of the repeated attempts on her life, and the nationalistic motive.

Judges Eli Abarbanel, Michal Sharvit, and Pnina Nevirt stated in their ruling:

«Through his actions, Shaabani harmed not only the complainant, but also the fragile fabric of life that exists between Arabs and Jews in Jerusalem.»

The court determined that the rise in such incidents targeting Jews requires strict and deterrent punishment. Although Shaabani confessed and cooperated with the investigation, he expressed no remorse in his final statement.

In addition to the prison sentence, Shaabani received a six-month suspended sentence and was ordered to pay the victim 150,000 shekels in compensation.