Muntasir Shalabi: Terrorist AND Polygamist

Yesterday I posted about the demolition of palestinian Arab terrorist Muntasir Shalabi’s palatial mansion in Turmus Ayya. It turns out the US strongly condemned it, which, correct me if I’m wrong, is more than they did regarding the murder that he perpetrated.

The United States on Thursday condemned Israel’s demolition of the home of a Palestinian-American accused of killing an Israeli student in a May terror attack, saying the building should not have been destroyed.

A spokesman said that the US embassy was “following” reports of the demolition of the home lived in by the reportedly estranged wife of Muntasir Shalabi and their children.

“As we stated numerous times, the home of an entire family should not be demolished for the actions of one individual,” the spokesman said.

Shalabi’s wife, who lived in the house, claimed she was estranged from her husband who – wait for it – had married three other woman:

She told AP that she and her husband were estranged for several years and that he spent most of his time in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he had married three other women in unofficial Islamic ceremonies.

This claim of estrangement was echoed by a human rights organization who petitioned against the demolition:

The Hamoked human rights organization filed a petition against the demolition, noting that Shalabi suffered from mental illness, had been prescribed anti-psychotic medications and had spent time in a psychiatric facility in recent years. Mental illness has in the past been used as grounds by the High Court to cancel planned demolitions.

Moreover, Hamoked noted that for 11 months of the year, Shalabi did not live in the Turmus Ayya home, as he is estranged from his wife, and stays in a separate room during an annual one-month visit. During the rest of the year, he resides in the US where he also has citizenship, along with a large percentage of Turmus Ayya residents. Proof of consistent residential ties in the past has been required for Israeli forces to move forward with a home demolition.

Hamoked argued that Shalabi’s estranged wife and children should not lose their home as state prosecutors provided no proof that they had any knowledge of his plan to carry out an attack.

“The man accused of the attack doesn’t live in the house, he lives in the US and he comes once or twice a year,” Hamoked executive director Jessica Montell said Thursday in the wake of the demolition.

I agree with the state’s argument:

For its part, the state prosecution argued that Shalabi still owned the house and had even renovated it recently. As for the family’s claims of the demolition order being collective punishment, prosecutors said the need to provide a deterrent against future attacks was weightier than the need for consideration of the relatives who may have been uninvolved in the attack.

Plus I would add something else. Shalabi’s (estranged) wife may or may not have known about his plans, but it would seem she sure as hell agreed with them:

She said the demolition lasted through the night. “This is our life. What happened to us is normal. We were prepared for it,” she said, calling her husband a “hero.

Translation: The wife of the prisoner, Montaser Shalabi, calls her husband and raises his resolve with ululations “I applaud him”

Meanwhile, I had to laugh at this photo:

That’s a random woman, not even his (Israel-based) wife!

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