Israel convicts seven over wedding where murdered Palestinian baby was mocked

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – An Israeli court on Wednesday convicted seven people of incitement to violence and terrorism for their role in a 2015 wedding where far-right Jews were videotaped mocking a murdered Palestinian toddler.

One of the accused was also found guilty of supporting a terrorist organization and incitement to racism, a court document said. An eighth defendant was acquitted.

The incitement charges carry a maximum five-year jail term. A sentencing hearing is due in October.

The wedding drew an outcry from both Palestinians and Israelis, coming months after one-year-old Ali Dawabshe and his parents died in an arson attack on their home in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

An Israeli court in 2020 convicted a Jewish settler of their murders.

One of those convicted on Wednesday, Dov Morell, said on Twitter: “My deeds do not represent who I am today, and I regret them.” But he added: “I don’t think this constitutes a felony and it looks like I will appeal the conviction.”

There was no immediate comment from the other defendants.

In the video, one dancing celebrant stabbed a picture of the baby while others waved assault rifles, knives and what appeared to be a petrol bomb. Wedding songs contained lyrics such as “the mosque will burn” and “the mosque will explode”.

The Israeli statistics bureau says around 450,000 Israelis live in the West Bank on land Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war. The settlements are deemed illegal under international law. Israel disputes this and cites biblical and historical ties to the land which Palestinians claim as rightfully theirs.

(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Mark Heinrich)