Murder of Asher and Yonatan Palmer

The Death of Asher and Yonatan Palmer
Part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The attack site
Location	Kiryat Arba, West Bank
Date	23 September 2011 10:00 pm
Attack type	Stoning attack
Weapons	Rock
Deaths	A 25 year old American man and his one-year-old infant
Perpetrators	Two Palestinians

The Death of Asher and Yonatan Palmer was a stoning attack by two Palestinians that killed Asher, aged 25, and his one-year-old son, Yonatan after their car overturned on the highway near the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba in the West Bank on 23 September 2011. Initially thought to be an accident, a police investigation later concluded it was the result of a terrorist attack. Two Palestinians were arrested and admitted to perpetrating the attack. A third Palestinian who witnessed the attack and stole possessions from Asher's body was convicted of theft. During that month of September, the IDF recorded 498 incidents of rocks being thrown.

The attack

Asher Palmer and his infant son, both American citizens, were travelling by car along Highway 60 near Kiryat Arba to join Palmer’s pregnant wife in Jerusalem. Two Palestinians hurled stones from their car which caused the death of Asher Palmer and his son after their car overturned. Asher Palmer's face was crushed in the lip region and he sustained fractures to his skull.

After the attack, another Palestinian, Shehada Awad Shehada Shatat, was driving on Highway 60 and observed the attack and car crash. He did not call for medical aid or attempt to help Asher and Yonatan and instead stole Asher's hand gun from his body. The family of Asher and Yonatan Palmer stated that Asher's wallet was also stolen.

Victims

• Asher Palmer, 24, of Kiryat Arba
• Yonatan Palmer, 1, of Kiryat Arba

Police investigation

The Police initially stated that the death of Asher Palmer and infant were accidental and a result of driver error. However they later concluded that the deaths were caused by rocks thrown at their vehicle and classified the incident as a terror attack. The Defense Ministry stated that the dead would be recognized as terror victims.

The attack was investigated by a Hebron District police force that dealt with incidents of rocks being hurled at Israeli vehicles from moving cars, this being the 18th case of such attacks. Investigators found a hole in the car's windshield consistent with a rock's entry point. Three rocks were found in the car, and one of them blood-stained, analysis determining that it was human blood. The fractures to Palmer's skull and facial injuries were also assessed and an autopsy on Asher Palmer’s body revealed injuries consistent with rock projectile.

The police were criticized for their initial report of the attack. Settlement leaders said that the police had denied that this was a terror attack to maintain the public order. Minister of the Knesset, Michael Ben Ari, said that the police were fearful of violent protests and the brother-in-law of Asher, Aharon Peretz suggested that the police did not describe this as a terror attack so as not to "fan the flames" and said of Asher, "He never fought with anyone. He was a quiet and special man and this is a great loss."

The mayor of Kiryat Arba, Malachi Levinger, called on the security forces to stop the stone-throwing which endangered lives. He said, "There are tens of thousands of Jews driving to Hebron to pray these days, and their safety must be protected," Danny Dayan demanded the publication of the report saying the public, the media or the bereaved family had not been informed of the true events and that the murder had been covered up.

Funeral

Many people assembled in a parking lot in Kiryat Arba pay their respects to the deceased. After the eulogies finished, the bodies of Asher and his child Yonatan, wrapped in a tiny prayer shawl, were carried by mourners to a vehicle in which they were transported to Hebron for burial.

Arrest and Trial

Two Palestinians from Halhul were arrested and charged with murdering Asher Palmer and his child following an investigation by the police, the Shin Bet and the IDF. They admitted to hurling the rock which caused the deaths. The rock was thrown at the victims' car from a vehicle speeding in the opposite direction, thereby significantly increasing the force of impact. After the Police examined the possibility that the two were responsible for 17 other cases involving stones being hurled at Israeli vehicles and the prosecution, the prosecution indicted the men for other stone-throwing attacks, one of them who was charged with attempted murder in another case, in which he allegedly threw rocks at a bus to kill passengers. Three other Palestinian men were indicted in connection to the Palmers’ deaths who allegedly formed cell to target Israeli civilians.

Representatives from the US Department of Justice and State Department were to due to attend a hearing in the Ofer Military Court in which the two were charged with intentionally causing the deaths of an American citizen and his son. A representative of the Palmer family said that US State Department monitors had been present at the previous hearing and would also attend the trial.

Asher Palmer's brother Moshe Palmer said, "I have never felt the need for revenge but I'm glad they were arrested," he added. "Why they did what they did – is no great secret. It doesn't make the pain any easier, but it's good that a relatively short time after the incident, they managed to apprehend the people. I believe that those responsible for catching these people have done their job properly."

Trial of Shehada Awad Shehada Shatat

Shehada Awad Shehada Shatat was convicted of stealing Palmer’s gun moments immediately after his death and received a 10- month prison sentence and a NIS 1,000 fine. The prosecution appealed against the leniency of the sentence. Father of Asher, Michael Palmer, said that military court had ignored the rights of the victims as he had not informed of the sentencing hearing and consequently did not provide a victim impact statement for the court to assess. He said, "Shatat saw the attack, saw Asher and Yonatan die, maintained chilling presence of mind as he looked into the just-dead faces of a father and his infant son and then proceeded to desecrate Asher’s still warm body to find and steal the weapon. Shatat may very well have literally had Asher’s blood on his hands." The Court of Appeals later considered the victim impact statements and increased the sentence to 15 months imprisonment.

See also

• Murder of Koby Mandell and Yosef Ishran
• Death of Yehuda Shoham
• Murder of Shalhevet Pass
• Death of Khalil al-Mughrabi
• Murder of Neta Sorek and Kristine Luken