Israeli officer who shot unarmed Palestinian in head at close range received $90,000 from Israeli government for his legal defense

Ma'an -- An Israeli police officer convicted of manslaughter for killing an unarmed Palestinian received over $90,000 of Israeli public money, a rights group said Sunday.

Adalah, the legal center for Arab minority rights in Israel, said Sunday that it had obtained internal Israeli police documentation revealing that officer Shahar Mizrahi received almost 350,000 shekels (over $90,000) in financial assistance from the Israeli police for his legal defense.

In July 2006, Mizrahi shot Mahammoud Ghanayim, 24, in the head at close range after using his gun to smash the window of the car in which Ghanayim was sitting.

Ghanayim was suspected of stealing a car, but investigations by advocacy group Mossawa found that, despite police claims, Ghanayim was the documented owner of the car he was driving.

Mizrahi was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 15 months imprisonment. The officer appealed his conviction to the Supreme Court.

On 21 July 2010 the Supreme Court overturned Mizrahi’s appeal and doubled his sentence to 30 months, noting that Ghanayim did not pose any threat when Mizrahi shot him at close range. The court also noted that Mizrahi had changed his testimony several times during investigations.

Adalah reported that Israeli police gave Mizrahi over 161,000 shekels (more than $42,500) for legal expenses in the initial criminal case, and a further 186,000 shekels (almost $50,000) for his appeal to the Supreme Court.

The decision of the Supreme Court to extend Mizrahi’s sentence was met with condemnation from government and police officials.

"I won’t merely support a pardon bid, I’ll lead it," Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch said, adding that the sentence sent "a terrible message to police officers."

Mizrahi remained a salaried employee of the Israeli police after his indictment, and even after his appeal to the Supreme Court failed, Adalah said.

Orna Kohn, an attorney for Adalah, wrote to head of Human Resources of the Israeli Police, Amihai Shai on 1 September asking on what grounds Mizrahi was granted this support.

"This is an extreme case whereby a police officer was indicted and convicted of manslaughter, appeals to the Supreme Court which upholds the conviction and doubles his sentence, and yet he remained a police officer throughout this entire process. The police gave him extraordinary financial assistance for his legal defense, essentially public money," Kohn said.