Anti-gay US-born Israeli terrorist jailed for killing two Palestinians
A US-born West Bank settler, who previously suggested Molotov cocktails should be used at those taking part in a gay pride event, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of two Palestinians.
Yaakov “Jack” Tytell, 39, originally from Florida, confessed to the 1997 killings, which he committed while visiting as a tourist.
After his arrest in 2009, he was convicted in January 2013 of killing a Palestinian taxi driver in Jerusalem and a shepherd near the West Bank city of Hebron.
In a bid to declare him insane, Tytell’s lawyers quoted him as saying he had been on a “mission from God” and that an “angel” had controlled his actions.
But the judge was not convinced and said he was responsible for his actions.
Before he was sentenced to two consecutive life terms and an additional 30 years, Tytell said he had no regrets and was proud of what he had done.
International Business Times reports in 2006, he was caught distributing flyers to ultra-orthodox Jews in Jerusalem explaining how to make Molotov cocktails and suggesting the explosives be used against participants of an upcoming gay pride parade.
Tytell subsequently praised the actions of a gunman, who shot two people dead at an LGBT youth centre in Tel Aviv in 2009; he was again caught distributing offensive flyers.
Although he confessed to the Tel Aviv shooting, police stated that they were certain he was not involved.