Man Who Threw Hot Tea at Arab MK Gets Four Months in Prison

A man who tossed a cup of hot tea at Joint List MK Ahmad Tibi was sentenced to four months in prison on Tuesday.

The veteran Arab politician blamed “those who incited [his actions] and painted targets on the backs of Arab Knesset members.” He accused Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of leading the “chorus of inciters.”

Tibi, who suffered burns to his face and eyes in the incident two years ago, complained that the punishment was too lenient. The defendant pleaded guilty at the Beersheva Magistrate’s Court as part of a plea bargain, and also received a six-month suspended sentence and an NIS 3,000 suspended fine.

The incident took place in December 2013 during a rally in Beersheba against the Prawer plan for the re-settlement of Negev Bedouin, which entailed the relocation of thousands of Bedouin from illegal sites to government-recognized communities.

The 50-year-old defendant claimed mitigating factors, describing his life as difficult, and saying he still suffers from trauma caused during his military service in Lebanon. He told the court that he did not plan the attack in advance, but did take responsibility for it and requested that his sentence not be overly severe.