The Beersheba District Court convicted Aviad Moshe on Wednesday of attempting to murder his ex-wife Shira Isakov by inflicting 20 stab wounds with a kitchen knife and beating her vigorously with a rolling pin, Hebrew media reported.
Moshe was accused of trying to murder his ex-wife following an argument that broke out between them.
In the verdict, Judge Yael Raz-Levy noted that Moshe "opened his testimony with an apology to Shira, but his testimony dealt with presenting the complainant in a negative light in an attempt to justify his actions."
Moshe was also convicted of abusing their son, who was by Isakov's side as he attacked her.
Raz-Levy rejected the claims of Moshe's defense attorneys that he could not be convicted of abusing a minor because the acts were not committed against him, and ruled that "abuse can exist without physical contact when it comes to mental abuse" – referring to the toddler witnessing the physical abuse that Isakov sustained.
In his defense, Moshe claimed: "I lost it, I have no ability to explain, I don't know what came over me."
Moshe claimed that he did not intend to murder her, but the prosecutor's office claimed that they had a recording in which he told her "he will not have a mother anyway" - referring to their son. Moshe's defense attorneys claimed that the transcript was interpreted incorrectly.
"The statements of the defendant that he did not want her to die are nothing more than statements in ignorance," the judges ruled.
In response to the indictment, Moshe accused Iskov of provoking him, insulting him and stressing that she had "verbally abused him."
The attempted murder happened last September at the couple's home in Mitzpe Ramon.
The maximum punishment that can be imposed for the offense of attempted murder is 20 years in prison.
After the verdict was issued, Isakov said that she is "surprised and very emotional. It is not easy but I am a little happy that justice was done. My child was not physically injured but was mentally hurt from the incident."
Likud MK Miri Regev responded to Moshe's conviction, stating that "justice has been done" and telling Shira: "I am proud of you that despite the difficulties and challenges, you faced this; you were fighting your war with heroism and courage. You have become a role model for many women in the fight against domestic violence. All of us must condemn and fight violence of any kind against women."