Lod Court Convicts Two Men of Attempted Murder in Shefayim Ambush
The Lod District Court convicted Eliran Levi and Tsali Tantser of attempted murder after 12 bullets were fired at a father and his children near Shefayim.
Three years after a dramatic assassination attempt, the Lod District Court has convicted Eliran Levi and Tsali Tantser of attempted murder and obstruction of justice. The judges ruled that a web of circumstantial evidence links them to the planned ambush in which 12 bullets were fired at a father and his minor children, while rejecting their defense testimonies. The two were acquitted on the benefit of the doubt regarding the charge of abusing a minor.
The Background and the Ambush
According to the amended indictment, the backdrop to the attempted murder was a financial dispute and divorce proceedings between Levi and the complainant, who is his ex-wife's brother. When the defendants learned that the complainant was with his two minor children at the Shefayim Water Park, they arrived at the location in two vehicles. They located his car in the parking lot, moved the second vehicle to an escape point, and waited at a vantage point.
At around 16:35, the complainant left the water park with his children and began driving. The defendants started following him, pulled up close to his car, and Levi fired 12 bullets from a 9 mm handgun at him from close range. The complainant was seriously injured in the chest, shoulder blade, and hip. During the shooting, his arm stopped functioning, and he opened the door and jumped out to call for help. The vehicle continued to roll forward with the terrified children inside until it crashed into a pole. One of the children was injured by shattered glass.
«Anyone who shoots another person at least 12 times with a handgun from close range and aims at the upper body is presumed to have intended to kill.»
Circumstantial Evidence and Conviction
12 casing shells were found at the scene, and gunshot residue was discovered in the defendants' Skoda vehicle. The prosecution based the guilt on a network of circumstantial evidence, including security camera footage, tracking data, and incriminating behavior following the incident: a glove held by Tantser, internal and external washing of the car about twelve hours after the shooting, and cutting off contact with the environment for two weeks. The court defined the car wash as "a powerful independent piece of evidence" for obstructing the course of justice.
The defendants initially denied the charges against them, but at the start of the defense case, Levi claimed he arrived at the location only to locate the complainant regarding a debt owed to his "brother-in-law," and did not know a shooting was planned. Tantser claimed his presence was innocent and that the shooting was carried out by another white jeep. The court rejected these explanations.
It was determined that although Levi fired and Tantser drove, Tantser's deep involvement proves the two acted together as a team under a single plan. Ultimately, the two were convicted of attempted murder in conspiracy, aggravated assault under aggravating circumstances, aggravated wounding, carrying a weapon, and obstruction of justice. However, the court acquitted them on the benefit of the doubt regarding the charge of abusing a minor, ruling that when it comes to psychological abuse not directly targeted by the violent event, convictions should be limited to extreme cases only.
