Life in Prison for Murderer of Baruch Mizrahi, Hy”d

The terrorist who murdered senior Israeli police official Baruch Mizrahi, Hy”d, on Erev Pesach 2011 was sentenced to two life sentences by a military court on Monday.

Ziad Awad was convicted in the killing of Chief Superintendent Baruch Mizrahi, 47, from Modiin on Route 35 near the Tarqumiya-Idna junction in the Chevron area, leaving behind a wife, Hadas, yblc”t, who was moderately injured in the attack, and five children.

Mizrahi was head of the signal intelligence section of the Investigations and Intelligence Division of the Israel Police National Headquarters. He joined the police after 25 years of service in the IDF, where he reached the rank of lieutenant colonel in Intelligence Unit 8200.

Awad, who had been released in the Shalit deal, was also ordered to pay compensation of NIS 250,000 to the widow Hadas Mizrahi and NIS 25,000 to each of the other members of the Mizrahi family.

Hadas Mizrachi was outraged by the sentence.

“I was sitting in the hearing, and it was clear to me that they would receive life sentences; unfortunately, they were not sentenced to death,” she said.

“The terrorists don’t go to jail, but to a hotel, and receive five-star conditions, and that’s absurd…I hope that the state of Israel will apply the death penalty to terrorists. This must stop. We are sick of it. Both the physical and mental pain remain. We are a strong people and Israel is alive and I am grateful to the people of Israel.”

Mizrahi’s widow expressed concern about another Shalit deal. “It is clear to me that there will be a revolving door here. This terrorist has already been released in the Shalit deal. They know the method. I’m sorry, but let there not be another release of terrorists; we will continue to fight. I call on the government to allow the death penalty for the terrorists.