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‘I know where you live!’ Terrorist’s father threatens victim’s family in court

Father of terrorist who killed IDF soldier in 2017 berates and threatens the victim’s family in open court.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

The father of a terrorist who murdered an IDF soldier at a bus stop in an unprovoked stabbing attack threatened the victim’s family in court on Wednesday.

Boaz Kukia, whose son Sgt. Ron Kukia was killed by a Bedouin-Israeli in the southern Israeli city of Arad in November 2017, was present at a court hearing for the terrorist’s father.

Odeh Abu Judeh is facing criminal charges for illegally harboring the terrorist’s mother, who is from the Palestinian-administered territories and did not have authorization to be in Israel at the time of the terror attack.

Kukia, accompanied by representatives from Zionist NGO Im Tirtzu, attended the hearing to raise public awareness about the dangers of illegal entry to Israel by Palestinians.

He noted that a spate of recent terror attacks had been committed by people who had illegally crossed the border.

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“We call on the courts to punish the father of the terrorist very severely in order to deter future terrorists,” Kukia told Hebrew-language media outside of the courtroom.

“The courts must participate in the national fight against terrorism.”

When Abu Judeh spotted Kukia near the courtroom, he repeatedly shouted, “I know where you live,” insinuating that he would harm the victim’s family for attending the hearing.

In a video of the chaotic scene, additional members of Abu Judeh’s family are seen shouting at Kukia’s family, with court security officials slow to intervene.

Despite threatening the family in open court, Abu Judeh was not arrested and it does not appear that he will face additional charges because of the incident.

In 2019, Abu Judeh’s son was sentenced to life in prison, plus an additional 20 years, for Kukia’s slaying.

In June 2020, the Israeli government destroyed the Abu Judeh family home in Kuseife, in line with its policy of destroying the residences of terrorists.

“In this house, the murderer lived with his polygamous father, one of whose wives is a Palestinian illegal resident and the mother of the killers,” the Kukia family said in a press statement at the time, adding that they rejected an apology phone call from the Abu Judeh family a week before the demolition.