A West Bank Jewish settlement leader charged with shooting to death an Arab youth may end up serving only six months in prison, under a plea bargain accepted this week by the prosecution and the defense.
Pinchas Wallerstein, mayor of the regional council of Match Binyamin, was charged three years ago with killing an Arab youth and wounding another youth outside the village of Beitin, near Ramallah.
Wallerstein opened fire when his car reached a roadblock the youths had built with stones and a burning tire. When his car was unable to move forward, he at first fired into the air.
When the youths approached the car anyway, Wallerstein felt his life was being threatened. He then fired in the direction of the youths, killing one of them and injuring the other.
In the plea bargain, Wallerstein admitted he had used his weapon “irresponsibly” by shooting bursts of fire.
The state substituted “causing death and damage out of negligence” for the original charge of “killing,” and agreed to ask for only a six-month jail sentence.
The sentence will be handed down shortly.
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