Israel house arrest for settler accused of killing Palestinian woman sparks outrage

Victim's relatives say court's treatment of Israeli minor reflects double standards

This picture taken on January 24, 2019 shows a reproduction of an undated family portrait of 48-year-old Palestinian Aisha Rabi, who was killed after a stone smashed through the windshield of the car Show more

An Israeli court allowed an Israeli teenager accused of killing a Palestinian woman with a rock to be placed under house arrest, prompting uproar among her relatives.

The teenager, aged 16, is charged with causing the death of Aisha Al Rabi when he threw a heavy stone at her windscreen last October near the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.

Relatives of the woman say the treatment of the Israeli minor is unjust as it does not reflect the same punishment that would be handed out to a Palestinian.

The victim’s husband, Yacoub Al Rabi, condemned the court’s decision as being emblematic of Israeli double standards.

“If the accused had been a Palestinian, they would have demolished his home and left his family without a roof over their heads,” he said. “I’ve never heard of a Palestinian minor accused of homicide being placed under house arrest.”

The youth, a pupil at a religious school in the nearby Jewish settlement of Rehelim, was charged with homicide motivated by hatred of Arabs. His DNA was found on the rock.

Four fellow pupils were arrested alongside him and questioned at the end of December.

Israeli courts traditionally imprison Palestinian suspects and moves to demolish the homes of their family members after an attack. The Israeli authorities claim the demolitions are part of a policy it believes discourages future violence.

But human rights groups and Palestinians say the practice amounts to collective punishment, with family members forced to pay for the acts of a relative.