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Palestinian attempted terrorist admits he sought to die a “Martyr” so his family would get financial compensation from the PA

PMW  |
The following is the transcript from Israeli Police’s questioning of a Palestinian man Khaled Rajoub, who sought to kill Israeli soldiers solely for the financial rewards it would bring his family as the family of a “Martyr.” He described his high debt and decided the only way to financially care for his family would be to receive financial rewards of those who have attacked Israelis and died in the act. Khaled Rajoub’s statements show that PA financial rewards “incentivize” terror.
The following is a transcript from the interrogation of Khaled Rajoub. PMW received and translated an Arabic copy of the transcript of the questioning:

Khaled Rajoub: “I want to tell you honestly, and from the end. I am a man with a family of seven, including me and my wife. I don’t work, and I’ve accumulated large debts, and am unable to pay them off. I reached a point where, if my son wants a shekel, I have nothing to give him. Therefore I decided to die – it didn’t matter how - by hanging - any way, [just] to die. I thought about it and said to myself that if I die by hanging, or any other way, I won’t get anything out of it, so I decided to do something serious, such as committing murder, something in which I will both kill and get killed, and then my family will get money and will live comfortably. In other words, something will come out of my death. In the end I decided to kill Israeli soldiers. I got in a car and drove to Al-Fawwar, to the junction, because there’s always a military post there, and I said [to myself] that I’ll run them [the soldiers] over in my car and murder as many as I can, and they’ll shoot me and kill me. However, I didn’t find a military post in Al-Fawwar.  I continued to drive to a second point, to the gate of [the settlement Beit] Hagai because I know there are always soldiers standing there, and I said to myself that I’ll run them over and kill as many as possible, and they’ll kill me. However, I did not find [any soldiers] there either. I had no other hope or way, so I broke through the gate of the settlement. I said [to myself] I can kill the guard, and then they’ll shoot me. I broke in with my car and broke it [the gate] and rammed into the second gat. But I couldn’t break it and the guards were behind the second gate. I tried to break it in order to bring it down on them, but it didn’t come down, and they didn’t shoot me, but caught me instead. I was injured during the incident and they took me to a hospital for four hours. They returned me to [Beit] Hagai, and from [Beit] Hagai to Etzion, and that’s what happened…”

Israeli interrogator
: “Did you try to kill the guards who were behind the gate?”

Khaled Rajoub: “Yes, exactly, I tried to bring down the gate on them. I rammed into it twice, but it didn’t come down, and then they caught me and the car remained with them. Too bad I couldn’t kill anyone, and I am determined. Meaning if you release me now, I will take a car, look for soldiers, run them over, and kill them. I am determined to do so.”

Interrogator: “Do you have a gun?”

Khaled Rajoub:
“I’ve never carried [a gun].”

Interrogator:
“Did you consider bringing a gun?”

Khaled Rajoub:
“I have nothing to eat, how can I buy a gun?”

Interrogator:
“But why did you decide to kill soldiers, and not someone else?”

Khaled Rajoub:
“The best is to kill soldiers. That way they have guns and they’ll shoot me and kill me. But if I’m not able to kill soldiers, I’ll try settlers, guards - in other words any Israeli target – the important thing is that I will die and they will kill me, so that my children will receive an allowance and live happily.”

Interrogator: “What did you want to achieve by killing soldiers or settlers, or any Israeli target?”

Khaled Rajoub:
“So they’d shoot me and I’d die, and my children would receive an allowance.”

Interrogator:
“Are you still determined to do that?”

Khaled Rajoub:
“Of course, 100%. I’m telling you – if they set me free, I’ll do it again as soon as possible. I’ll bring another car, and I’ll run over [the soldiers] at the first military post I see. I’ll kill as many as possible, and they’ll shoot me, and I’ll die. There is no other solution.”

Interrogator:
“If you have the opportunity to kill soldiers or a [civilian] Israeli in another way – shooting, stabbing, or any other way – will you do it?”

Khaled Rajoub:
“I don’t know. Something like that requires checking. Why? Because someone like me, small and crippled in his leg - I barely walk - needs a thorough plan to kill in a different way. The easiest way for someone like me is to run [someone] over with a car.”

Interrogator: “Do you want to add anything?”

Khaled Rajoub:
“No, God bless you. But I say to you again – I don’t regret what I did, and if I have the opportunity, I’ll do it again, and I’ll kill soldiers or any Israeli I come across.”
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