Teen charged with murder of top Israeli-Arab cop’s nephew

Even though Israeli-Arabs make up about 21% of the population in Israel, more than 50% of murders and attempted murders occur in the sector.

By ELIYAHU KAMISHER
Updated: DECEMBER 12, 2016 15:30
Anaan Muhammad Hachrush (photo credit: Courtesy)
Anaan Muhammad Hachrush
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Police indicted an Israeli-Arab, 17, on Sunday on suspicion for the murder of Anas Hachrush, 48, in November.
Hachrush, is the nephew of Deputy Police Commissioner Jamal Hachrush, the first Muslim to reach Israel’s second-highest rank police rank. The accused denied the allegations against him and police have not established a motive for the alleged murder or found the murder weapon.
Anas, an electrician, was shot three times early in the morning on November 19 while in his car in the town of Kfar Kanna. He was declared dead shortly after arriving at the Poria Medical Center in Tiberius.
“The investigation revealed the electrician [Anas] arrived the day of the murder to install an electric boiler at the house of the mother, whose son is accused of the murder,” police alleged in a statement.
Police allege that the teen decided to attack Hachrush, and thus took a gun and hid by a nearby olive grove. At a certain point, Hachrush's daughter called and he left to pick her up from school once he finished the electrical work.
As Hachrush's car approached the olive grove he slowed down, that is where the teen allegedly approached the victim and fired three shots, one of which struck the deceased’s head. However, police did not offer a motive for the allegation, the alleged murder weapon has also not been found.
“Investigation at the scene and findings revealed that the man who was shot is Anas Ismail Hachrush, 48, who was shot at close range while driving his Hyundai jeep,” police said on Sunday. Shortly after the murder police detained the mother, 42, whose house Hachrush left and her two sons ages 19 and 17, the younger of which is now indicted. The mother and 19-year-old son were released.
"We have not received the investigation material and thus cannot comment on the matter.  The minor, who lacks a criminal record, cooperated in the investigation," Said Haddad, the defendant's public defender told The Jerusalem Post on Monday, "The defendant denies the charges against him in the indictment."
Hachrush's uncle Jamal was appointed to assistant chief in February. He is tasked with improving law enforcement in Israel’s Arab communities.
While Israeli-Arabs make up only about 21% of the population of Israel, 59% of murders and 55% of attempted murders take place in the sector, according to 2015 police figures.
The village denounced the murder at the time. According to the Post's sister publication, Maariv, family members said that if they had known of the conflict between the deceased and others, they would have found a peaceful solution.