In announcing the verdict of guilty on Joseph Urphali, Jew accused of the murder of Arabs during the riots of last August, the Judge referred to new evidence presented by the airmen, and stated that he was not satisfied that this excluded the possibility of Urphali’s having fired at Arabs. He expressed himself as believing the evidence of the Arab witnesses at Urphali’s first trial who were later discredited by the verdict of the Court of Appeals granting a new trial.
Stating that Urphali was found guilty of having fired at two Arabs, the Judge further stated that since Arabs were attacking Jews, Urphali was guilty of unpremeditated murder in the first instance, while the second killing was premeditated.
Urphali, asked what he had to say by the Court, raised his hand and swore by the Holy Bible that he was innocent.
Counsel for Urphali, plans, it is learned, to again appeal the verdict.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
