Palestinian jailed for 17 years for stabbing Israeli police

An Israeli court on Wednesday sentenced a Palestinian man to 17 years in prison in a plea bargain for the stabbing and seriously injuring of an Israeli policeman in Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem District Court sentenced Yasser Tarua, a 21-year-old Palestinian from Hebron, to 17 years in jail for stabbing an Israeli border policeman in his chest and neck at the Old City of Jerusalem on June 21, seriously wounding him, according to court protocols provided by the Israeli Court Authority's spokesperson.

Tarua pleaded guilty on the charges of attempted murder with nationalist motives and entering Israel illegally, first filed against him in an indictment on August 2015. He will also be required to pay a 40,000 shekels (about 10,000 U.S. dollars) as compensation to the victim.

According to the indictment, Tarua set out from Hebron with two knives and entered Israel illegally to plot against Israeli security personnel.

The policeman had since underwent surgery and placed on a long-term rehabilitation program, the Jerusalem Post reported. He managed to shoot Tarua during the attack, and the latter was hospitalized for several months.

The incident is part of an ongoing wave of violence that began since October, claiming the lives of 28 Israelis, killed in stabbing, shooting and car-ramming attacks, as well as more than 175 Palestinians, some killed during clashes with Israeli security forces in protests, while others were attackers gunned down by forces or vigilante citizens.

The Israeli Shin Bet Security Agency said in a statement on Wednesday that most of the Palestinian attacks are carried out by "lone wolf" attackers, mostly with personal problems.

"Many recent terror attacks have been carried out amid an environment of incitement that originates with the Palestinian Authority and terror organizations," the Shin Bet said in a statement posted to its website.

"This environment also influences people with personal problems," the statement added. Enditem