Alan Goodman, a 39-year-old American-born immigrant, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Jerusalem district court today for murder and attempted murder on April 11, 1982, When he fired an automatic weapon at Moslem worshippers on the Temple Mount and later resisted arrest.
Goodman, who is from Baltimore and was serving in the Israel army at the time of the shooting, had pleaded not guilty on grounds of insanity. But the panel of three judges found that although he suffered from a “borderline personality disorder,” he was legally sane and responsible for his actions. The life sentence was pronounced for the murder of a Moslem worshipper, Mohammed Salah Yamani. Goodman was given an additional 20 years sentence for attempting to kill four policemen who arrested him. It will run concurrently with his life sentence.
Goodman addressed the court calmly after the verdict was announced, calling it a travesty of justice and a “shame on Israel.” He said the verdict “gave the stamp of approval to Arab murders.” A few moments later, as he was escorted from the courtroom by police guards, he erupted into a screaming tirade against Arabs. Goodman’s lawyer said he would appeal the verdict and the sentence.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
