On Sunday January 10, 2010 YWN- ISRAEL reported on a shooting incident that occurred in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood of Yerushalayim.

The report stated that two assailants in chareidi garb on a motorcycle opened fire at a victim on Chaim Ozer Street. The assailants and intended victim fled the scene before police arrived. A number of suspects were taken into custody, but they were released soon thereafter.

Four months later police arrested Rosh Yeshivat Ben Ish Chai Rabbi Menachem Edri, who denied any connection to the case. Police however were convinced that this time they had the right man in custody. Rav Edri and Yitzhak Zohar were convicted, with the latter found guilty of assisting the rabbi. Eliyahu Liberty, a criminal was served jail time for robbery was moderately wounded in the motzei Shabbos shooting attack, which police say was related to a dispute between him and the rosh yeshiva.

The rosh yeshiva denied any connection to the case during the trial but police produced an eye witness along with video surveillance from a nearby bakery. In addition, the rav’s cell phone records tell a different story than he told the court regarding an alibi.

The Jerusalem District Court on Sunday 26 Teves sentenced the rosh yeshiva to a five-year prison term and Zohar to 4.5 years.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)