Family of Petah Tikva worker: Lifting gag order on investigation will show nationalistic murder

Nathaniel Arami fell to his death while rappelling down from the 11th floor of a building at the construction site where he worked.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB
Nathaniel Roie Arami (photo credit: COURTESY THE FAMILY)
Nathaniel Roie Arami
(photo credit: COURTESY THE FAMILY)
The family of a Petah Tikva laborer who fell to his death on September 16 has requested that the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court lift a gag order on the investigation, in order to try and show that an Arab coworker killed him for nationalistic reasons.
A statement by the organization Honeinu – which represents the family of the deceased, 26-year-old Nathaniel Roi Arami – said that the request followed the family’s receipt of information from investigators regarding “the circumstances of the murder, which were not cleared for publication.”
The statement added that the family had only received even this information after an October 22 order by the Petah Tikva court obligating the police to provide them with updates on the investigation.
At a press conference outside the court, the family said that publication of the details of the investigation would have “broad public consequences.”
The family expressed regret over having to turn repeatedly to the court to intervene, but said the police “had left the family no choice,” as they had taken advantage of the family’s patience and silence on the issue for too long without giving explanations.
Although initially Arami’s death was presumed an accidental fall, by the end of September, the police were already investigating the incident as a possible terrorist attack.
Arami fell to his death while rappelling down from the 11th floor of a building at the construction site where he worked. It remained unclear, however, how the married father of two, who was expecting a third child, had lost control. During an initial investigation, police questioned an Arab coworker, but released him after he denied any wrongdoing.
After the incident, Arami’s mother claimed her son had been killed for being Jewish.
“Nathaniel was murdered for being a Jew, and I am calling on all government agencies to put an end to this massacre,” she stated.
“Nobody knows who’s next.”
Refuting initial police claims that his death was an accident, she added that her son had been certified and highly skilled at rappelling, and reiterated that he was the victim of a cover-up.
Daniel K. Eisenbud contributed to this report.


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