Abraham Tzafati, the Iranian-born youth who recently attempted to take his life at a session of the Knesset attended by Premier David Ben Gurion and other members of the Israel Cabinet, was adjudged mentally unsound today by a government psychiatrist. Although the Court decided not to continue with the youth’s projected trial, the defendant was kept under arrest at the suggestion of the Ministry of Justice.
Tzafati made strong protestations against the court’s decision, contending he was in full possession of his mental faculties. He said he intended to commit suicide in the Knesset for the benefit of Israel. Shouting and shedding tears after the court’s ruling was pronounced, Tzafati said the “entire proceedings were a Mapai fabrication.” He collapsed after being removed from the courtroom, and was taken to a government hospital.
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.
