Beduin man charged with manslaughter

Beersheba court charges Negev Beduin town Hura resident with manslaughter caused during feud between two factions of same family.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Beduin in Israel_311 (photo credit: REUTERS/Amir Cohen)
Beduin in Israel_311
(photo credit: REUTERS/Amir Cohen)
A man from the Beduin town of Hura in the Negev was charged at the Beersheba District Court on Monday with manslaughter caused during a feud between two factions of the same family.
The defendant denied the suspicions against him during the police investigation leading to the indictment.
RELATED:
CNN: Beduin smugglers stealing organs from refugees
Police said the factions, both from the extended Alkayan family, are involved in a protracted dispute that led to several fights and confrontations in the desert community of 8,000 residents.
Last August, the defendant, named as Fahid Alkayan, allegedly traveled in a vehicle in the town with other relatives and came to a stop at an improvised roadblock manned by members of the rival family.
The defendant allegedly exited the vehicle to confront them. One man, Khaled Alkayan, who belonged to the rival family, and lived nearby, arrived on the scene to “separate the warring factions,” southern state prosecutors said in the indictment.
“The defendant shouted at him and threw a big rock at his face, causing an injury,” the indictment added.
The victim, who suffered from chronic heart and kidney disease, was rushed to the Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba.
Doctors fought to save Khaled’s life, but he died of his injuries in October.
Police from the Ayarot station gathered evidence they say led to the suspected rock thrower, as well as two other alleged participants in the incident.
The suspect denied throwing the rock during police questioning.
“The dispute between these two sides remains unresolved, meaning that we have to maintain an increased police presence here,” a southern police district source told The Jerusalem Post. “We believe the two sides will come to an understanding at some point.”
The southern police district has a number of Arab affairs officers – fluent Arabic speakers tasked with bringing Beduin communities closer to police, and preventing feuds from erupting into violence, which can also take the form of armed clashes.
The position of Arab affair officer was created by Israel Police in 1994.
The officers maintain daily contact with Beduin leaders, including heads of tribes, sheikhs and council heads.