Gag Order Lifted: Ami’s Assailant Arrested

The gag order has finally been lifted and the arrest of the American born ultra-Orthodox man who placed the bomb-laden Purim package at the doorstep of the Ortiz home has also confessed to multiple terroristic murders and attempted murders.

Here are the news reports in the top three online English edition newspapers, with Haaretz giving far more coverage out of the gate than Jpost or Ynet - to the late breaking Sunday edition headlines out of Israel.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu also weighed in to the breaking news.

These first reports are indicating that Yaacov Teitel acted alone without the knowledge of others. I am a little concerned that he has confessed to so many incidents and they are painting him as a lone wolf who had no contacts with other radical elements - especially that he confessed to the Tel Aviv gay attack and the police are saying they have nothing to tie him to it.

Also so many people are painting a picture of him as being mentally ill - which is kind of their classic response, isn't it? That was used on the guy who killed all those Palestinians at a historical/religious site and also of the guy who killed Rabin, if memory serves. Conveniently insane. Time will tell what holds up under more intense scrutiny, but for now we are happy for this matter to have surfaced in the public.

Please continue to pray for the Ortiz family as the media turns an eye to them once again, and for what will become the prosecution of these cases. --Donna Diorio www.israelprayer.com

Linked to the stories online

Alleged Jewish terrorist arrested for murder, series of bomb attacks
By Amos Harel Haaretz Correspondent 11-1-09

ALSO VIDEO: Ortiz family home security video of the Purim-bomb basket being place inside the gated entry way.

Yaakov "Jack" Teitel, 37, is suspected of killing two Palestinians, for rigging the package bomb which left the child of a Messianic Jew seriously wounded, for attempting to kill left-wing professor Ze'ev Sternhell, and for his alleged role in a series of warning attacks against Israel Police at the time of the Gay Pride Parades.

Jewish extremist arrested for alleged series of hate crimes
By Yaakov Katz Jerusalem Post Nov 1, 2009 16:44 | Updated Nov 1, 2009 19:03

The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and Israel Police have arrested an American-born Jewish settler who is allegedly behind an unprecedented series of deadly terror shootings and bombings spanning over a decade, in which two Palestinians were killed and Israel Prize Laureate Prof. Ze'ev Sternhell was injured. According to the Shin Bet, he also planted a bomb at the entrance to house of a messianic family in Ariel, seriously wounding their son, then-15-year-old Ami Ortiz.

Settler suspected of multiple hate crimes
Ynet reporters 11-1-09

Authorities believe Yaakov Teitel of Shvut Rachel murdered two Arabs, planted pipe bomb which injured Hebrew University's Prof. Ze'ev Sternhell, as well as multiple explosive devices in other incidents. Lawyer: He's mentally unstable

Netanyahu: ‘Minority’ of violent far-rightists must be stopped
By Haaretz Service 11-1-09

Following the arrest of a West Bank settler suspected of multiple murders and bomb attacks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel must fight the terror posed by violent extreme rightists, whom he termed a "marginal minority."

‘State must make an example of Teitel'
By Ben Hartman and JPost staff Nov 1, 2009 18:31 | Updated Nov 1, 2009 22:01

The Ortiz family of Ariel on Sunday urged authorities to "make an example" of Yaakov Teitel, a right-wing Jewish extremist arrested for allegedly sending the messianic Jewish family a bobby-trapped package in 2007 that left son Ami Ortiz critically wounded.

Who is suspected Jewish terrorist Yaakov Teitel?
By Chaim Levinson, Haaretz Correspondent 01/11/2009

Yaakov Teitel, who was arrested last month for suspected murder and a string of alleged murder attempts, was born in Florida in November 1972, the son of Mordehai (Mark) and Devorah (Dianne), American ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Relatives: Teitel wouldn’t destroy his family’s life
Roee Mandel Ynetnews 11-1-09

Friends, relatives describe Shvut Rachel resident who admitted to killing Palestinians and placing bomb outside Professor Sternhell's home as being reserved, moderate, but say he was deeply affected by injury of brother-in-law in terror attack

Shvut Rachel residents: We are not a community of terrorists
By Chaim Levinson Haaretz Correspondent 11-1-09

Residents of the West Bank outpost Shvut Rachel were shocked to learn that their neighbor Yaakov Teitel had been arrested for allegedly orchestrating a string of violent attacks against targets as disparate as Palestinians, the gay community, Messianic Jews and prominent left-wing figures.

Teitel’s lawyer: He is mentally unstable
By Yaakov Lappin JPost Nov 1, 2009 20:01 | Updated Nov 1, 2009 20:04

From the moment he arrived in Israel, Yaakov Teitel believed he was receiving a series of unmistakable signals and instructions from God to carry out his acts. Teitel told his investigators that he had dreams warning him that if he did not carry out the attacks, he would die. He viewed events like rocket attacks on Sderot as divine punishment for past transgressions by Israel. And he launched bomb attacks on police targets in order to persuade them to refrain from securing gay pride marches in Jerusalem.

More as information becomes available