Murder of Yafim Weinstein

Yafim Weinstein
Died	2009
Cause of death	Murder
Nationality	Israeli
Occupation	Cab driver
Known for	Being murdered in a terrorist attack

Yafim (or Yefim) Weinstein was a 54-year-old Israeli man murdered in 2009.

Murder

Weinstein, a resident of Nazareth Illit, was a cab driver.[1] He was murdered while delivering pizza in a terrorist incident by Islamist militants who identified with Al Qaeda.[2][3][4][5]

Investigation

Eight suspects were arrested in Nazareth in 2010 in a combined operation by the police and the national security services that uncovered a "cell" inspired by Al Qaida and the recorded speeches of Osama bin Laden to illegally acquire arms and launch violent attacks on Jews and Christians.[6][7]

Arrests and convictions

In 2010, Ahmed Ahmed (21), was arrested for on charges of murder. Ghaleb Ranim (26) and Haider Ziadna (22) were arrested and charged as accomplices to murder. All three were from Nazareth. The three were apprehended as part of a group, or "cell", of 7 men discovered when Ahmed and Ranim traveled to Somalia with the goal of training at an Al-Qaida camp.[8][9] Ahmed and Ranim had flown Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and then to Kenya, where they were arrested and deported to Israel. When asked at his indictment whether he was motivated by hatred for Christians and Jews, Ahmed responded, "Long live Osama Bin Ladin".[10]

The group was influenced by the imam of Nazareth's Shihab a-Din mosque, Abu Salim, convicted support for the terror organization Al Qaida, and of inciting to violence and terrorism and violence.[11][Institute for National Security Studies 1][12] Raleb Ganaem, Haidar Zidana, and Ali Ahmed Ali were convicted of murder and sentenced to prison; Ali was sentenced to life in jail.[10] Ganaem and another defendant were convicted of abducting and robbing a pizza delivery man in an act "connected to his being Jewish." They ordered a pizza from a pizzeria in Upper Nazareth, waited in ambush for the delivery man and then stabbed, abducted and robbed him. They left him bound and bleeding.[10]

References

1. Moshe David, Ahikam (30 November 2009). "חשד לרצח של נהג מונית ליד כפר החורש" [Suspicion of murder of a taxi driver near Kfar HaHoresh]. Maariv – via Makor Rishon. עוברי אורח מצאו את גופתו של יפים ויינשטיין, בן 54. מנהלו אמר: "אני ליד הגופה ומתקשה להאמין". צו איסור פרסום הוטל על הפרטים
2. "20-jarige vrouw mogelijk door terroristen vermoord" Archived 2014-09-03 at the Wayback Machine, israeltoday.nl, 2 May 2014.(in Dutch)
3. "Barak outlaws Nazareth group with links to al-Qaida" Archived 3 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine, jpost.com, 26 July 2011.
4. Katz, Yaakov (26 July 2011). "Barak outlaws Nazareth group with links to al-Qaida". Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
5. Miskin, Maayana. "Nazareth Imam Convicted of Inciting Terror; An influential Nazareth imam has been convicted of inciting to terrorism, and founding a Salafist group with Al-Qaeda ideology". Israel National News. Archived from the original on 20 July 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
6. "Shin Bet arrests eight Israeli Arabs for illicit arms trading; The investigation into this case last month led police to arrest suspects in murder of Nazareth taxi driver Yafim Weinstein, Eli Ashkenazi" Archived 3 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Haaretz.com, 15 July 2010.
7. Azriel, Guy (28 June 2010). "7 Nazareth residents indicted for attacks against Jews, Christians". CNN. CNN. Archived from the original on 9 September 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
8. Shay, Shaul (2014). Somalia in Transition since 2006. Transaction. ISBN 978-1412854382.
9. "Israel arrests seven with al-Qaida ties". UPI. 29 June 2010.
10. "Nazareth Arabs Convicted of Jewish Cabbie's Murder" Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine, israelnationalnews.com, 29 November 2012.
11. "Nazareth Imam Convicted of Inciting Terror"^[usurped], israelifrontline.com, April 2012; accessed 20 November 2014.
12. CBN. "Israeli Arab Terror Cell Busted". Christian Broadcasting Network. Christian Broadcasting Network. Archived from the original on 9 September 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.

Sources

1. Schweitzer, Yoram (9 December 2013). "Is Salafist Jihadism Making Inroads into the Israeli-Palestinian Arena?". Insight. 494. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.