The Jewish Home | MAY 26, 2022
28
Ukraine’s First War Crimes Trial
A Ukrainian court on Monday sentenced a 21-year-old Russian soldier to life in prison for killing a civilian in the first war crimes trial since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. During the trial, Sergeant Vadim Shishimarin pleaded guilty to shooting 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov in the head after being ordered to do so. Shishimarin told the court that an officer insisted that Shelipov, who was speaking on his cellphone, could have revealed their location to Ukrainian forces. Before delivering the verdict on Monday, the court said that Shishimarin had “committed a criminal offense” according to international humanitarian law. “[Shishimarin] saw a civilian on the pavement, Oleksandr Shelipov,” the court
said. “Shishimarin knowing that Shelipov is a civilian and is unarmed and does not pose any threat to him fired several shots at Shelipov from his AK-gun. “The cause of Shelipov’s death was a shot in the head that resulted in crushing of the skull,” the court added. Shishimarin admits that he killed Shelipov but says that he regrets the murder. His lawyer says he was under stress from the war and felt pressure from his commander. “I was nervous the moment it happened. I didn’t want to kill,” the 21-yearold said. “But it happened and I do not deny it.” He confronted Shelipov’s widow and apologized for her loss. She asked him rhetorically, “Did you come to defend us? From whom? Did you defend me from my husband you killed?” “We were ordered to come with the column,” Shishimarin answered. “What will follow I did not know.” Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin is “concerned” about Shishimarin and will seek ways of assisting him Meanwhile, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the world to enact “maximum” sanctions
Calling All Mental Health Clinicians Looking to grow your practice?
Join our extensive database of top psychiatrists, psychologists and licensed therapists offering in-person and/or virtual counseling.
Contact mhr@sbhonline.org to sign up today!
SBH Community Service Network, Inc. is a non-profit community organization servicing over 20,000 clients annually across 12 divisions and three branches based in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and New Jersey. Our referral database includes over 1,250 practitioners and mental health resources.
Visit www.sbhonline.org for more information.
against Russia. Among the sanctions Zelensky urged are an oil embargo, blocking all of its banks, and cutting off trade with Russia completely.
Hijacking – 50 Years Ago
Fifty years after Arab terrorists hijacked the Belgian Sabena Airlines flight 571, Israel’s Defense Ministry has published the military’s official logbook from event. The documents detail the chain of events, exactly as they occurred in real time on May 8-9, 1972, when members of the IDF’s Sayaret Matkal commando unit stormed the plane and took down the terrorists. Shortly after Sabena flight 571 took off from Vienna to Tel Aviv, terrorists Ahmed Awad, Abed al-Aziz Atrash, Theresa Khalsa and Rima Tannous – members of the Black September terrorist group – rushed the cockpit, armed with explosives and pistols. The logbook details, “A report was received of hijacking ‘Sabena’ and of it landing in Lod, Moshe was ordered to land in Lod.” The plane landed at 5:15 p.m. The terrorists demanded the release of 315 terrorists in exchange for the plane’s 97 passengers and crew members – and “Operation Isotope” ensued. The pilot of the flight, Captain Reginald Levy, told the control tower officials, “Take them very seriously. If they do not receive a power unit immediately, they will take off immediately.” The terrorists in question were imprisoned in Ramle, which is near Lod, and the hijackers insisted that the swap should not take long. Israeli officials, however, convinced the hijackers that there was an issue with the plane and that mechanics would need to take a look at the aircraft before it could take off. The hijackers
then agreed to both the mechanics and the refueling, but at 10:30p.m., Levy warned, “The hijackers informed me of an explosive device that will explode in one hour. Everything must be sorted out within 60 minutes.” He added, “We do not want to fly, but I am pressured to take off.” Eventually, the hijackers agreed to have the plane fixed in the morning, when a Red Cross representative would be available to facilitate a prisoner swap. Levy informed the hijackers that Israel had agreed to the swap and that “they promised me they will send food and technicians to repair the plane.” One hijacker, “Captain Rafat,” responded, “Okay, thanks.” At 4:20p.m., “mechanics” dressed in white overalls boarded the plane. Bursting through five openings, the commandos shot and killed the two male hijackers and captured the two female hijackers. Some of the details of the operation are still censored due to security concerns. Although this was not the first hijacking by terrorists, it was the first time in which Israeli forces were able to conduct a rescue operation.
Jordan: No Jewish Prayers on Temple Mount
Jordan on Sunday slammed an Israeli court’s ruling that Jewish teenagers who recited the “Shema Yisrael” prayer on the Temple Mount were within their rights to do so. According to a statement by Jordan’s Foreign Ministry, “The decision allows extremists to hold ceremonies at the Al-Aqsa compound.” It continued, “The ruling is legally null and void according to international law, which does not recognize the authority of the Israeli judicial system on occupied Palestinian territories from 1967, including East Jerusalem.” The ruling is “a gross violation of in-
