January 18, 2013

Jerusalem Institute of Justice Report

Jack Teitel Conviction


Yesterday Jack Teitel, a self-confessed long-time volunteer for the Yad L'Achim anti-missionary organization, was finally convicted by the District Court in Jerusalem on two accounts of murder and two accounts of attempted murder including the bombing of Ami Ortiz, the Messianic Jewish young man from the town of Ariel.

Nearly five years ago, during the 2008 Purim holiday, Teitel left a pipe bomb disguised as a gift package on the doorstep of the Ortiz family. When Ami, then 15 years old brought the package inside and opened it, he detonated the bomb which critically wounded him filling his body with hundreds of pieces of shrapnel.

Ami has miraculously recovered from this attack, but is still undergoing a serious of painful plastic surgeries to remove his scars. During the opening of his trial, Teitel said, "it was a pleasure and honor to serve my G-d, G-d is proud of what I did. I have no regrets".

It is a relief to know that this cold-blooded murderer will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Over the past five years, JIJ has supported the Ortiz family offering pro-bono legal representation, raising donations to renovate their bombed apartment and care for Ami's special medical needs, as well as helping them manage the Israeli media's treatment of the attack, investigation and trial.

Yesterday Ami's parents, David and Leah Ortiz, sent JIJ the following note: "we know you heard the good news of the guilty verdict, but we just want to thank you for standing by us for these years, and for supporting us in every way". JIJ is honored to have played a part in bringing justice to this case. Indeed, the mills of justice grind slow, yet they grind fine.

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