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Israeli Supreme Court gives go-ahead to destroy home of Esther Horgan’s killer

The demolition of his home had been scheduled for Jan. 21 but following a petition from the terrorist’s family, the court issued an interim order to wait. 

By David Isaac, World Israel News 

Israel’s Supreme Court has given the go-ahead to the IDF to destroy the home of the murderer of Esther Horgan, after issuing a temporary order to hold off on the demolition about two weeks ago.

The terrorist, Muhammad Cabha, 40, admitted to killing Horgan on Dec. 20.

The demolition of his home had been scheduled for Jan. 21 but following a petition from Cabha’s family, the court issued an interim order to wait.

“Considering that the petition is directed against an order intended for execution today starting at 8:00 p.m. and in order to allow the petition to be heard, a temporary order is hereby granted to delay the demolition proceedings that are the subject of the petition until a different decision is made,” the High Court said.

Cabha had decided six weeks prior to carrying out the murder that he would kill a Jew. His motive was retaliation for the loss of a friend who had died in an Israeli prison. Cabha previously served time for terrorist-related activity.

He searched for a location to carry out the killing, settling on a break in the security fence between Israel and Palestinian Authority-controlled areas. When he later saw Horgan running alone on her morning jog in the vicinity, he attacked her, killing her by smashing her head with a rock.

Her body was found in the early hours of Dec. 21 after her family reported her missing and a search had been launched.

Cabha’s relatives and friends helped him hide in an Arab village before he was apprehended by Israeli security forces.

Israel often uses home demolitions as a means of deterrence against attacks. However, the Supreme Court has been more active in blocking such demolitions recently and has routinely frozen demolitions, at least temporarily, to hear petitions from families of the killers.

In just a few examples:

In August 2020, the Israeli Supreme Court froze the demolition of the home of the terrorist who murdered IDF Staff Sgt. Amit Ben-Yigal.

In May 2020, the court struck down a warrant permitting the IDF to demolish the home of terrorist Mahmoud Atouna, the killer of Yeshiva student Dvir Sorek.

In April 2019, it froze the demolition of the home of Arafat Irfaiya, who murdered 19-year-old Ori Ansbacher.