On Tuesday, September 16, Netanel Arami, Hy”d, fell 11 stories to his death while at work rappelling on the side of building at a Petah Tikva construction site. Arami’s family immediately claimed that his death was a nationalistically motivated murder and reasoned that an Arab worker had cut his cables; both Arami’s main cable and his back-up cable were cut. A complete gag order was placed on the case. Two weeks later, after the gag order on the case was partially lifted, Arami’s family held a press conference on Tuesday, September 30, however details of the investigation still remained under the gag order.
Following a campaign led by Netanel Arami’s family the Petah Tikva Magistrate Court lifted the gag order. On the morning of Wednesday, November 26, the Petah Tikva Magistrate Court accepted the request filed by Honenu attorney Hur Uziel Nizri on behalf of Netanel Arami’s family and allowed publication of the fact that his death was a nationalistically motivated murder carried out by Arabs. Arami’s family will receive authorization stating that they are victims of a terror attack. Three Arabs have been detained and released.
Judge Merav Greenberg, who lifted the gag order, said “In the investigative case three suspects were detained and interrogated by the GSS and the Israeli Police on suspicion of being involved with causing his [Arami’s] death due to a nationalistic motive. The three were released after a long investigation, after the Attorney General’s office examined the case and after no legal justification was found to continue their remand. The investigation continues.”
Additionally the court allowed publication of the fact that Arami’s family received a document from the police authorizing their status as “victims of terror”.
Honenu attorney Hur Uziel Nizri stated after the deliberation, “It is important to say that until now no public or governmental organization has contacted Arami’s family, even though the situation was well-known. Also we ask that the President of Israel come to console the family, as he did for the recent victims of terror attacks. Netanal Arami was murdered for being a Jew. We thank the court for its decision and we call on the various governmental agencies to do their jobs. We call on the GSS and the police to continue to investigate and carry out the necessary investigations. Additionally we are saddened that the issue had to be brought to court in order to receive what should have been obvious and immediately understood.”
Miriam Arami, Netanel’s mother responded to the court’s decision: “It is important to us that these things are publicized so that everyone will know the truth and know that Netanel went to work and did not return, but rather was murdered because he was a Jew. All of the times they shut people’s mouths, all of the attempts to cover up [the truth] will not succeed. We promised Netanel two weeks ago when we were at the cemetery on his birthday, that, with G-d’s help, we would not rest and would not be quiet until they found the murderers. We are angry that no governmental body such as the President or the Prime Minister came to console us in mourning and did not even phone us. Everyone consoled Abu Khader. Apparently to them he is more important than my son.”
{Matzav.com Israel News Bureau}
