An Israeli man who killed his two children while they were visiting Israel from the United States was sentenced to two life terms in prison on Sunday.
Avraham Levy, from Yashresh moshav in central Israel, killed Yishai, 11, and Sarah, 10, in June 2014, in what the Central District Court in Lod said was an “act of revenge” against his ex-wife. He was found guilty of murder two weeks ago.
Levy was also ordered to pay his ex-wife half-a-million shekels ($130,000.)
Levy and his former wife, an American citizen, met in the United States. They lived in Israel and had two children during the four years they were married, before divorcing in 2006.
Three years after the divorce, Levy’s wife and children took refuge in a shelter for battered women. While in the shelter, Levy’s wife sought court permission to return to the U.S. with the children. Permission was granted on the condition that suitable visiting arrangements be made for the children to see Levy.
The visiting arrangement began to break down in 2013, causing Levy great distress. He decided to kill the children to avenge himself against his wife.
Prior to the arrival of the children in Israel to spend the summer with their father, Levy bought a knife, plastic restraints and blindfolds. From the airport, he took them to the moshav, where they spent the evening with Levy’s family.
Back at home, Levy persuaded the children to allow him to handcuff and blindfold them. He then slit their throats. Following the killing, Levy changed into clean clothes and drove to the Ramle police station to hand himself in.
“The accused committed this ghastly murder with the very clear intention of avenging himself against his ex-wife for leaving him and taking the children,” the court wrote in its judgement.
“A person who kills his children in cold blood and in such a way is devoid of humanity and the sentence he deserves is to remain behind bars for the rest of his life.”
