Israel sentences Palestinian to 25 years in jail over vehicular attack

A Palestinian from east Jerusalem was sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempting to run over five Israelis four months ago, according to court protocols provided by the court authority spokesperson.

Mohammad Sleima, 25, from the east Jerusalem Arab neighborhood of Ras al-Amud, drove his car into a group of Israeli border police women as they were crossing the street, injuring five of them. The Israeli border police women's injuries range from light to moderate.

Sleima conceded to attempted murder charges amid a plea bargain with the Israeli prosecution. The prosecution told the Jerusalem Court that the suspect pre-planned the attack, fining him almost 70,000 U.S. dollars.

There were multiple vehicular attacks in Jerusalem and its surroundings as antagonism rose between Israelis and Palestinians in the area during the past year amongst violent attacks and tensions over the holy site of the Temple Mount.

The 300,000 Palestinians inhabiting east Jerusalem live in territories which Israel took over in the 1967 Mideast War and officially annexed in 1981.

They have permanent residencies but cannot vote nor become candidates in Israeli elections, and they suffer from lack of infrastructure, high crime rates and poor facilities, as well as having to endure ongoing construction of Jewish settlements in the area. Endit