Palestinian Sentenced to 16 Life Terms

An Israeli court gave a Palestinian 16 life sentences today for killing 16 Jews, including two Canadians, by forcing their bus from a highway into a ravine.

Abdel Hadi Suleiman Ghneim pleaded guilty to all counts, including the attempted murder of 24 other passengers, including seven Americans.

Besides the life terms, to run concurrently, the Jerusalem court sentenced the Ghneim to 20 years in prison on each of the 24 charges of attempted murder.

The July assault was the bloodiest incident of a 22-month-old Palestinian revolt against Israeli rule in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip and the worst attack inside the Jewish state in 11 years.

The 24-year-old Palestinian, a resident of Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, was aboard the express bus traveling on Highway 1 linking Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Israel’s biggest cities.

As the vehicle neared the ravine, Ghneim, shouting “Allah-o-Akbar!” (God is Great), seized the steering wheel and forced the vehicle over the edge. He, too, was injured.

The attack sparked several days of protests by Jews who took to the streets stoning Arab cars in anger at the government’s inability to end the Palestinian uprising.

After the attack, a Palestinian was killed when he was hit by a stone and lost control of his car in southern Israel.

As news of the attack spread, angry Israelis pulled several Arabs off buses and beat them, Israeli radio reported.

Ghneim, who worked as a spray-painter in a garage in the Israeli town of Rehovot, blamed Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza for the 16 deaths. He said he forced the bus over the precipice to avenge a friend injured by gunfire from Israeli troops.