Rabbi Eitan and Shira Shnerb, the parents of Rina Shnerb, H’yd, who was murdered in a terror attack in 2019, told Arutz Sheva about a shocking and painful meeting they had with disgraced Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, which gave them a glimpse of the liberal views of the military justice system toward murderous terrorists.

“One day, the phone rang at our home: ‘Hello, Shnerb family, Eitan and Shira, you are invited to a meeting with the Military Advocate General and the Chief Military Prosecutor in a few days,'” the Shnerbs said.

“We asked ourselves, ‘What did we do to deserve such an honor?’ When we arrived, we couldn’t believe what the meeting was about: the Military Advocate General and the prosecutor tried to persuade us to agree to plea bargains that would see our daughter Rina’s murderers released within a few years. Why? To avoid a long trial—and other such shallow arguments.”

“We couldn’t believe it. We asked, ‘You want to reach plea bargains to release terrorists who were already freed from prison, returned to terror, and murdered and injured Israelis—just to close the case quickly?’ Their response was, ‘Don’t you want to put this story behind you? Don’t you want to rest?’ We replied that we were thinking of all of Am Yisrael, not only of our personal feelings or our own case. It seemed they had never heard such words before. Instead of changing their approach, they mocked us. We were shocked, hurt, and deeply disappointed. We couldn’t believe this was the view of the Military Advocate General.”

Shortly later, the Shnerbs realized that ex-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar held similar views. “A few weeks later, we received an invitation to meet with the then-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who also tried to persuade us to agree to plea bargains. We asked him, ‘But why? Why release murderers without a proper trial or punishment? Why not let them rot in prison for the rest of their lives?’ Bar responded, ‘I’m afraid of the Supreme Court,’ and said that the Military Advocate General was also involved in the matter.”

“You have to understand that the Sde Teiman issue is only part of the story,” the Shnerbs emphasized. “The Military Advocate General, the prosecutor, and the former Shin Bet chief had weak and liberal views that led to the release of terrorists through absurd plea bargains—views that affect the entire military justice system.”

They provided hair-raising examples of the weaknesses in the military justice system. “Hearings in the military courts are run by the terrorists’ defense attorneys, who themselves are members of terrorist organizations. Here are some examples: The dates of hearing are set by the murderers’ attorneys. These attorneys shut down the military court at Ofer Prison for weeks because they claimed there was a shortage of parking spaces and coffee rooms. The attorneys arrive late to hearings; attorneys who are unrelated to the case walk in and out of the courtroom with total disrespect for the ongoing murder trial; there are attorneys who speak with unimaginable insolence to the military judges—who represent the state—and to us, the bereaved family. And nothing is done about it.”

“At the same time, the military justice system prevents us, Rina’s family, from being present at many of the hearings, doesn’t update us on developments, and prefers that we stay out of the process. And where are the judges? When the heads of the system are weak, it trickles down. The court is liberal, doesn’t fight back, and doesn’t protest enough against the insolence during the hearings. Baruch Hashem, our lawyers still have the will to fight and to win.”

“Today, we must all offer thanks and praise to Hakadosh Baruch Hu that the truth is coming to light,” the Shnerbs concluded. “Those who acted and made decisions that endangered the citizens of the state are leaving the system, and this is the time for a major and vital change in the military prosecution.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)