On the fourth anniversary of the Purim basket bomb attack that almost killed their teenage son Ami, the Ortiz family in Ariel received a scare on Thursday when another package was deposited on their doorstep by a man who rang the doorbell and then ran away. The four adults and two children who were in the apartment at the time called the police, who dispatched over 20 officers, two fire trucks and the bomb squad to their aid. The street was closed off, the building evacuated and the family extracted from the apartment through the window by the lift on one of the fire trucks. The bomb squad including a robot went back into the apartment by the same method and sent the robot to examine it. The package turned out to be filled with harmless food products. “A representative from the religious community showed up and said that they were doing a project through the Orthodox elementary school in town to give food packages to needy families and it was delivered to us by mistake,” said Pastor David Ortiz. “But the media and the security services said they didn't buy that story so quickly and they're trying to find out if it was a bad joke to scare us or if it was truly a mistake.”

Déjà vu for Messianic Bombing Victims
 

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Four years after a Messianic Jewish teenager was critically injured by a bomb hidden in a Purim gift package, an unknown prankster may have played a "joke" on the same family Thursday.

CBN News covered the bombing in March 2008, which nearly killed 15-year-old Ami Ortiz, embedding shrapnel and severely burning his face, neck, chest and hands.

Ami's father, David Ortiz, who pastors a Messianic fellowship in Ariel, sent an email detailing the incident.

Thursday's 'Event'

About 12:30 p.m., the security cameras showed a man placing a large carton at their front door, ringing the bell and then hurrying down the stairs.

"We immediately called the police, closed our steel enforced door and went into the bedroom furthest away from the hallway," Pastor David wrote. "Then we called all the believers in town to warn them about any suspicious packages at their doors or next to their property."

For the next three hours, police, firemen and an IDF bomb squad took over. The four adults and two children in the Ortiz apartment were evacuated by a fire truck lift. Police evacuated the rest of the residents, who moved cars from the street as police cordoned off the area.

Reporters and cameramen began arriving, some recalling the Purim bombing there four years ago.

"Why is it when Jews believe in Yeshua (Jesus in Hebrew), everything changes," one photographer asked the Ortiz family. Any other beliefs don't seem to "make a difference" he said.

A short time later, a religious Jew arrived and told police the local Orthodox Jewish elementary school was giving Purim food packages to needy families. This one was delivered to the Ortiz family "by mistake," he said.

The media and security services "didn't buy that story so quickly," Ortiz explained in the email, saying they were investigating whether it was "a bad joke to scare us or if it truly was a mistake."

In any case, "the event was very costly -- bringing in all that equipment and manpower," he explained.

The head of the bomb squad commended them for doing the right thing. He had been there four years ago and said they must never hesitate to call when anything suspicious happens.

Ya'akov "Jack" Teitel

The man charged with attempting to murder the Ortiz family, Ya'akov "Jack" Teitel, also murdered two Arabs -- a taxi driver and a shepherd -- and wounded Israeli Prize Laureate Prof. Zev Sternhill with a bomb he planted at his home.

In court, a smiling Teitel flashed the peace sign, saying "it was my pleasure and honor to serve my God."

"God is proud of what I have done," he said. "I have no regrets."

Though he was initially declared fit to stand trial for his nationalistically motivated crimes, in mid-February, his lawyers reached a plea bargain with the Jerusalem District's Prosecutor's Office.

They entered a guilty plea on their client's behalf (he doesn't accept the court's jurisdiction) to the two murders on the condition of filing a revised indictment that omitted information from the original charges.

His lawyers hope the new indictment will convince the court that Teitel was not responsible for his actions, paving the way for admission to a psychiatric facility in lieu of consecutive life sentences.

In theory, Teitel could be released in several years, according to the recommendations of the medical staff.

Shalom! For those who have heard that something took place today at our house in Ariel, we had an incident at about 12:30, when a large, closed, brown carton was brought to our door and left by someone. When we looked on our security cameras, we saw a man in his 30′s wearing a kippa, with a Purim mask not on his face but put up on his head, bringing the package, ringing the doorbell and then running down the stairs. We immediately called the police, closed our steel enforced door and went into the bedroom furthest away from the hallway. Then we called all the believers in town to warn them about any suspicious packages at their doors or next to their property.

At least 20 policemen arrived, along with the bomb squad (hablanim) that had to came from an IDF base in the Nablus area around 20 kilometers from Ariel , two fire trucks, police cars, etc. Blocking off the street. It took about an hour and a half for the security services to understand the layout of the apartment and they felt it was better to not come in through the stairs in case they were booby trapped and because the hallway is an enclosed area they felt it was better to come in through the window and to take us out through the window. All this was done with the help of our sons who were outside. It took a couple of hours to take us out of our 3rd floor apartment by the window using a lift on one of the fire trucks. We had to be taken down two by two – we were four adults and two small children in the apartment- they said they had to be careful as it was a new computerized lift that they had never used before. The bomb squad also lifted themselves up through the window with the robot and when they saw the box, they were very alarmed and they called out to the others from the window, saying it wasn’t like a traditional Purim gift package (mishloach manot) and it was suspicious. They told everyone to get back. They sent the robot into the hallway, and destroyed the box which turned out to be filled with food products, which was a relief not only to us but also to our neighbors who had also been evacuated from their apartments. They had to move their cars away from the building as well.

All these efforts lasted for 3 hours. The media showed up on the scene, and even though they told us that it was too late for anything to be put on the air today, maybe on Sunday there will be a follow up report on this. Leah was interviewed by phone and they wanted to know how we are after 4 years, and how Ami was doing. There was a photographer that showed up and he was asking us why is it that when Jews believe in Yeshua, everything changes for us, while if we believe in other beliefs, it doesn’t seem to make a difference.

A representative from the religious community showed up and said that they were doing a project through the Orthodox elementary school in town to give food packages to needy families and it was delivered to us by mistake, but the media and the security services said they didn’t buy that story so quickly and they’re trying to find out if it was a bad joke to scare us or if it was truly a mistake. The event was very costly – bringing in all that equipment and man power. The people from the media continue to called us up sounding upset and are telling us that it sounds very suspicious to them, and that if it is a mistake it is unexcusable. The head of the bomb squad told us he had been at our house four years ago, and that we have to always be very careful and not hesitate to call them when something suspicious happens. He commended us for doing the right thing.

Thank you for your concern,

David and Leah Ortiz and family



Ami’s story

On March 20th, 2008, 15-year-old Ami Ortiz stayed home from school. It was Purim – a Jewish festival in which holiday baskets are sent to friends and acquaintances to commemorate the Jews’ thwarting of Haman’s evil plot as recorded in the book of Esther in the Bible. To Ami’s delight, someone left a holiday package on the Ortiz family’s doorstep. When young Ami opened the package, it exploded in his face, filled his body with hundreds of pieces of shrapnel and left him in critical condition. Ami’s father, David, is a pastor of a Messianic community in the town of Ariel. Apparently, this was not an attempt to injure a fifteen year old boy, but rather an attempt to murder a minister of the gospel in Israel.

A police investigation was opened after the bombing. However, the Israeli police were extremely indifferent and apparently negligent in conducting the inquiry. The surveillance cameras which had been installed by the Ortiz family actually managed to film the person who delivered the package. They handed this recording over to the authorities; but to their dismay, no arrests were made and the police refused to return the tape to the Ortiz family. A year after the tape was confiscated by the police and after repeated refusals by them to release their property, the family brought the matter to court. With Ami and his parents present, the judge ruled to return the tape to the Ortiz family.

In May 2008, a day after a revealing expose on the issue was aired on Israeli television (Channel 1, “Yoman Shishi”), police contacted the Ortiz family asking them to resend many important documents pertaining to the investigation – the original copies had been lost. This proves that nothing had been done until the issue was brought to the media, two months after the actual event. Distinguished lawyers and representatives of pro-Israeli organizations tried to bring this case before government officials. Promises were made, but with no satisfactory results. It is suspected that a number of high-ranking officials and fundamentalist Rabbis in Israel are to this day, attempting to engage in a serious cover-up of the true situation.

Ami’s story was also covered by the prestigious program “Uvda” which is a documentary news program that delves into news stories in depth. It especially features stories where justice is not being served. It had a powerful affect on the Israeli public, further revealing the fact that in Israel there is a large community of Jews who believe that Yeshua is the Messiah according to the prophecies of the Tenach. It exposed the hatred and opposition of the anti-Messianic group Yad L’achim. David and Leah received calls of support from Israelis all over Israel for days afterwards, condemning the bombing and expressing their support for their family. CBN, Maoz, and the Jerusalem Institute for Justice have covered the case with powerful videos as well.

In January 2010, a full length documentary was released in Korea called “Restoration”. Made by a Korean Christian film company, they captured the subject of the persecution of the Messianic Body in Israel, using Ami’s case as their focal point. It was a huge success in Korea, playing in movie theatres for 4 months, and won the Monaco Film Festival prize in 2010 for best feature length documentary.

We are concerned that if violence against Messianic believers in Israel goes unchecked by the prosecuting authorities, it can create a slippery slope of continuing violence towards the community. A case in point, about two months after the Ortiz bombing, in May of 2008, hundreds of copies of the New Testament were publically burned by fanatic yeshiva students in Or Yehuda, a small town near Tel Aviv. Or Yehuda’s deputy mayor, Uzi Aharon, went on record at the time of the burning and called the actions of the yeshiva students a “commandment.” Furthermore, Aharon refused to unequivocally condemn the burning of the books; he even admitted that he had helped organize the mass book burning. A complaint has been submitted to the police in light of criminal laws in Israel which prohibit desecration of sacred texts and public humiliation of religious groups.
The police began an investigation of this incident, and took the testimonies of Mr. Charles Kopp and Mr. Harry Tees from the United Christian Council Israel. They functioned as witnesses and swore that the books in the photos of the burning in the Newspapers were in fact New Testaments. The police officers heading the investigation claimed that once the Attorney General, Mr. Menahem Mazuz gives them his approval, they will summon Mr. Aharon for questioning. As of today, this has not happened.

Since then, two churches in Jerusalem have been attacked by arsonists and burned, a Pastor’s car in Beit Shaen has been firebombed, a Messianic baker’s business has been denied the Kashrut license only because she is a Messianic believer, jobs have been lost and visas and citizenship denied because of faith in Yeshua.

Fliers, showing pictures of Messianic leaders and congregational members have been circulated in every major city and many smaller settlements in Israel. These fliers contain a message to the public to be aware of missionaries who are trying to steal the souls of Jews, and who masquerade as Jews but are not. Names and addresses have been published under the pictures, which is against the law. In Ariel, the fliers were posted in every bus stop from Tel Aviv to Ariel, a distance of 45 kilometers. We do not know if the perpetrators of the bombing in the Ortiz home were the ones who published these fliers, but at the very least, the fliers incited and helped them to identify the family and their address.

Press and media coverage have continued extensively on the Ami Ortiz case. These have not only continued to lift up the name of Yeshua in Israel, but have also continued to put pressure on the authorities to being justice to the case. In May of 2009, the FBI officially became involved in the case, because David and Leah are dual American and Israeli citizens. Their help with the Shin Bet moved the investigation forward quickly until Jack Teitel was arrested on Oct. 7, 2009.

“These things have I spoken to you, so that you wouldn’t be caused to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God. They will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor Me. But I have told you these things, so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them.” (John 16:1-4 )

Teitel was arrested in November 2009 and charged with 14 counts reflecting 12 years of terrorist activity. He is accused of murdering an Arab taxi driver and a shepherd in 1997.

After the indictment is filed, Teitel's defense team is slated to argue their client is not responsible for his actions. The State will argue Teitel was aware of his actions at the time of the crime and is fit for trial.

The new indictment will likely not address the part which states that the defendant's actions were motivated by his hate and objection to people and groups whose lifestyle contradicts his beliefs.

The settlement means there will be no trial which will spare the court of time spent listening to testimonies and holding hearings. Teitel's lawyers hope that the new indictment will help them prove their client was not responsible for his actions.

The deal will be presented in court in one month's time and the court will then discuss whether Teitel can be held accountable for his actions. If he is found accountable, Teitel can expect to serve several life sentences, otherwise he will likely be admitted to a psychiatric facility.

Suspect in Ortiz Bombing Case Fit to Stand Trial
 

The "Jewish terrorist" who tried to murder members of an Israeli Messianic Jewish family because of their faith, has been declared fit to stand trial.

The Jerusalem District Court decided this week that Jack Teitel would stand trial for the murder of two Palestinians in separate incidents as well as for placing a bomb disguised as a Purim holiday gift basket at the home of David and Leah Ortiz in 2008.

David Ortiz is an outspoken Messianic pastor and his wife Leah is a Messianic Jew. His son Ami, 15 years old at the time, opened the gift package. It exploded in his face, nearly killing him. Doctors said it was a miracle that he survived.

Teitel's lawyer had said he did not know if his client should be held criminally accountable for his acts, and last year a psychiatric examination deemed him unfit for trial.

Teitel, a religious Jew who was quoted as saying at the time, "I don't know if I'm sane. I don't recognize the jurisdiction of this court. I feel good." However, a later psychiatric evaluation contradicted the first.

When the announcement was made more than a year after the attack that Teitel had been arrested, Ami's parents told CBN News they were chilled by the news.

"It was very chilling," Ami's mother, Leah, recalled. "In other words, I felt like my heart go cold. Because even though we know that there are people, actual flesh and blood people, that did it, just the fact that we found out what settlement they were from, that there were neighbors."

"I felt pain for these people. I prayed for them this morning," Ami's father, David, said. "I mean, he's going to try and kill people, assassinate people, and ruin your whole life."

American-born "Jewish Terrorist" indicted on 14 charges including two counts of murder and one of attempted murder

The Jerusalem District Court ruled unanimously on Wednesday that Ya'acov 'Jack' Teitel, the American- Israeli indicted on murder and attempted murder charges, is fit to stand trial.

The panel of three judges, Zvi Segal, Moshe Hacohen and Moshe Yair Drori, said in Wednesday's hearing that Teitel's ability to conduct his defense was "beyond question" and therefore he is fit to stand trial.

RELATED: Teitel trial postponed; state studies psychiatric evaluation

For a court to rule that a defendant is not fit to stand trial, his attorneys must convince judges that he is suffering from a mental disorder such that he is unable to conduct his
defense or instruct an attorney to do so, because he cannot understand the charges against him, the nature of the criminal proceedings or communicate with his counsel.

Dubbed "the Jewish terrorist," Florida-born Teitel, 39, was indicted in 2009 on 14 separate charges including the 1997 murder of Palestinian taxi driver Samir Balbisi, who was found shot dead in his taxicab.

The indictment also charges Teitel with the murder of a second Palestinian man, Beduin shepherd Isaa Mousa'af Mahamada, who was shot dead near the West Bank settlement of Carmel, near Hebron, in August 1997.

Teitel is alleged to have committed both those murders while he was still a US citizen on vacation in Israel.

In 2000, Teitel immigrated to Israel and lived in Shvut Rachel, a West Bank settlement north of Jerusalem, where he married and had four children. That same year, he was
arrested by police on suspicion of carrying out both the 1997 murders, but later released for lack of evidence.

In March 2008, according to the indictment, Teitel attempted to murder 15-year-old Amiel Ortiz, the son of American Christian missionaries in Ariel.

Teitel allegedly sent a bomb in a Purim gift basket to the Ortiz's home, which exploded when Ortiz opened it.

Other charges include planting homemade explosives at the home of Prof. Ze'ev Sternhell, a left-wing scholar from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in September 2008 and attacking a police station in 2006 during a gay pride parade.

Teitel was arrested in Jerusalem in 2009, while distributing leaflets lauding a deadly shooting at a Tel Aviv gay youth center, although police do not believe he was involved
in that attack.

Teitel was remanded in custody in a secure psychiatric facility, and though an initial psychiatric assessment in 2010 deemed Teitel unfit to stand trial, later tests showed
that he was able to face prosecution.

"We conclude that [Teitel] is not detached from reality, he possesses an impressive verbal ability and is capable of maintaining a good connection with those talking to him,
that he is well aware of the legal process and its outcomes, he knows he is in court and is aware of the various functions of the legal process," Segal said.

Teitel's associates: He's gone mad

Sources close to 'Jewish terrorist' say Prison Service trying to conceal his deteriorating mental state before court decides if he is fit to stand trial. In one incident, they say, he injured himself while 'fighting demons' in his cell

"Jewish terrorist" Yaakov (Jack) Teitel, who was charged with murdering two Arabs, sustained light injuries to his hand at the Ayalon Prison when he imagined he was fighting demons and threw a pot at a mirror in his cell, Ynet learned overnight Sunday.

Teitel's associates are accusing the Prison Service of trying to conceal his mental deterioration and preventing him of proper care. According to them, Teitel lost his sanity a long time ago and has even been deemed unfit to stand trial by prison psychiatrists.

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Psychiatric Evaluation
Victims: Teitel lying about mental state / Aviel Magnezi
Jewish terror suspect faked psychosis to evade justice, victims' relatives charge following psychiatric evaluation; Arab who shoots Jews is a terrorist, but Jew who shoots Arabs is insane, MK Tibi says
Full Story

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A district court is expected to address the matter this month.

Teitel's acquaintances said his mental state has deteriorated over the past few weeks. During this time, they said, he has been "fighting demons" he believes are attacking him, jumps around and hides inside his cell.

In one incident Teitel "fought a demon" he claimed was hiding in his mirror. He threw a pot at the mirror and lightly injured his hand. In another incident Teitel was found unraveling the velvet curtain covering the Ark of the prison's synagogue, claiming demons were hovering around it.


'Fighting demons.' Teitel in custody (Archive photo: Gil Yohanan)

One of Teitel's associates said he should be committed to a mental hospital, "but the Shin Bet is preventing it because in a month's time there is a hearing on his mental state and the prosecution claims he is fit to stand trial. If he is committed the State would essentially be admitting its mistake, so for the time being he is suffering and other inmates are suffering from his behavior."

In November 2009 Teitel was indicted for a string of offenses he had allegedly committed over the course of more than a decade, including the murder of two Palestinians, planting an explosives device outside the home of left-wing professor Ze'ev Sternhell and placing a bomb at the home of Messianic Jews in Ariel.

Attorney Adi Keidar, who is representing Teitel, said, "The Prison Service is doing everything it can to prevent Teitel from receiving the necessary psychological treatment. His condition has recently deteriorated, but instead of sending him to a psychiatric evaluation at a hospital, he was returned to the ward.

"It seems as though the Prison Service is trying to hide the fact that he is deteriorating and that he has not received proper medical treatment. Another prisoner would have been committed to a mental hospital a long time ago," said the attorney.

The Israel Prison Service said Teitel was being treated by a psychiatrist from the Health Ministry.

U.S. Report Cites Religious Intolerance in Israel

The U.S. State Department’s 2010 International Religious Freedom Report, released November 17, found numerous violations of religious freedom in the State of Israel. While the Israeli Basic Law on Human Dignity and Liberty affords the protection of religious freedom to all individuals, the report cited a continuance of governmental and legal discrimination against non-Jews and non-Orthodox streams of Judaism.

The report cited cases handled by the Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ) concerning illegal exclusion of citizenship and immigration rights to Jews holding Messianic convictions as well as attempts made by the Ministry of Interior (MOI) to deny services to and/or revoke the citizenship of persons adhering to such beliefs. The report highlighted the MOI’s blatant refusal to comply with an April 2008 High Court ruling, which granted citizenship to three Messianic Jews (a refusal which was overcome this year by a Contempt of Court Petition from JIJ).

In addition, instances of individuals being interrogated, detained and denied entry at the Ben-Gurion airport solely for religious reasons or on suspicion of so called "missionary activity" were also cited, while the report asserts the existence of MOI watch lists containing names of suspected individuals.

The report maintained that religious minorities, including, Evangelical Christians and Messianic Jews, continue to face harassment, assault, abuse, and persecution by radical Jewish activists and organizations, such as Yad L’Achim (anti-Missionary organization). Among the examples cited was the desecration of a Messianic congregation in Be’er Sheva along with the assaulting of its members by hundreds of Orthodox Jews.

Evidence of connections between Yad L’Achim and the MOI was found and cited within the report. “Yad L'Achim pressured landlords, employers, and MOI officials to assist its campaign against groups it deemed ‘dangerous cults,’" the report stated. Furthermore, the report reveals that Jewish terrorist, Yaakov (Jack) Teitel, who was arrested and charged in the bombing of the Ortiz residence, was indeed a member of Yad L’Achim and targeted the Ortiz family due to their Messianic beliefs.

With the increase of violations of religious freedom in the State of Israel, Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ) plays a vital role in the fight against religious intolerance and discrimination of religious minorities. Having now handled over 390 cases including 17 Supreme Court victories, JIJ helps to combat the ultra-Orthodox hegemony in Israeli society and to advance Israel’s fledgling democracy. We believe that by doing so, we help to legitimize the Jewish State in the international community. Accordingly, while JIJ fights to preserve civil rights and religious freedom within the nation, it likewise continues to advocate for the State of Israel and enhance her foreign relations and public diplomacy worldwide. After all, regardless of the need to improve in areas of religious freedom, Israel is still the only democracy in the Middle East.

To access the U.S. State Department's 2010 International Religious Freedom report on Israel, press here.

The family of Ami Ortiz, the Messianic Israeli teenager who was nearly killed by a bomb planted at his doorstep almost 3 years ago, is asking for prayer ahead of the trial of the main suspect in the case. At risk, warned Ami’s mother, Leah Ortiz, is the future safety of believers in Yeshua (Jesus) across Israel.

On Purim 2008, Ami stepped outside his family’s house in the Samarian town of Ariel to find an anonymous holiday package, a common practice during Purim. When he opened it and set off the powerful bomb inside, Ami was critically wounded. Doctors believed he would never fully recover from his injuries, but they were eventually proved wrong, and Ami is today whole and healthy.

For years the police dragged their feet investigating the case, presumably because appearing to aid a Messianic family would not be viewed favorably by the Orthodox religious establishment. At one point, the police even made the outlandish assertion that the Ortiz family had brought the attack on themselves by being so open about their faith.

Last year, police finally captured Jack Teitel, the man believed behind the Ortiz bombing and a string of other attacks. On December 2, Teitel goes on trial, but his defense is working hard to make sure he is declared mentally unfit for prosecution, and instead have him sent for treatment to a psychiatric hospital.

Leah Ortiz explained in a letter to supporters that this is dangerous for two reasons.

First, details of the investigation tying Teitel to the aggressive anti-missionary organization Yad L’Achim will not come to light. Bringing that evidence to light would obligate certain legal action against and restraints on Yad L’Achim and the rabbis who back the organization, resulting in far less persecution of Messianic Jews.

Second, said Leah, “this will set a very dangerous precedent for the Messianic Community in Israel, as there are many like [Teitel] who will be emboldened and willing to give up a few years of their lives in a mental institution in order to murder those that believe in Yeshua as the promised Messiah.”

In light of these dangers, the Ortiz family is asking for prayer that true justice will be served and that Israeli believers will find themselves more secure rather than more imperiled by this ordeal.

To learn more about the attack on Ami Ortiz and the ensuing legal battles, visit www.amiortiz.com

The man accused of trying to kill Israeli teenager, Ami Ortiz, with a bomb may not have to stand trial.

A three judge panel will decide if the suspect is mentally fit for the court case that's attracted world wide attention.

As Jack Teitel entered the courtroom, he claimed Israel's legal system had no authority over him.

"This house of prostitution has no legitimacy," he said.

Teitel is accused of planting a bomb at the home of Ortiz and his family. The blast nearly killed the teenager.

Teitel faces a number of charges in other cases, including the deaths of two Arabs and an attempted murder of a liberal professor.

The Ortiz family must wait until December for the judge's decision.

"It's going to be very, very important because they're really going to decide within one hearing whether he can be deemed responsible, mentally responsible for what he did in the past, and also, if he's fit to stand trial now," Ami's mother, Leah Ortiz, said.

Since the 2008 bombing, Ami's parents have faced an emotional ordeal, but still pray for their son's accused attacker.

"We feel at peace that God's in control," Ami's dad, David Ortiz, said. First of all, when we're at home with our family, we continue to pray for him. We continue to pray for him, with all these things that have taken place, that God will visit him."

As for Ami, his mother said his progress has defied the doctor's prognosis and exceeded expectations.

"They told us a long time ago he would never be able to run again like he did before. He will never be able to jump as high as he did before, but I mean he wins all the races," Leah said. "He runs faster than anybody. He dunks the ball and jumps really high. I just believe the Lord is going to restore him completely."

"He's a wonder in my own eyes. How peaceful, how he's taking it. He has a vision to go forward, and he feels that this is in the Lord's hand," David said.

In the meantime, the Ortiz's hope people will stand with them in prayer for the man who nearly killed their son.

"In our hearts, we feel, we don't feel anger, we don't feel bitterness. More importantly that Ami does not," David said. We continue to pray for him, and we continue to pray that God with this case will continue to glorify Himself, and this is the main thing in all of this is that the name of Yeshua should be lifted among the people of Israel."

Teitel in court on Sunday (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

According to the indictment, he also placed an explosive device in the house of Prof. Ze'ev Sternhell who was lightly wounded, and sent a booby-trapped gift to a family of Messianic Jews in Ariel, seriously wounding their teenage son Ami Ortiz.

The court debate centered round contradictory medical opinions regarding Teitel. One asserted he was not fit to stand trial, while another said he was fit to stand trial and responsible for his actions. During the debate, Teitel's attorneys Michael Ironi and Asher Ohayon requested the raw material on which the medical opinions were based so they could fully understand the second opinion.

Representative of the State Prosecution Sagi Ofir agreed to the request, and the court ruled that the two sides would submit a joint injunction permitting the psychiatrists to submit the raw material.

Ohayon also said Teitel would not agree to cooperate with the court. "The most he is willing to do, after much effort, is to be passive," Ohayon said, referring to "higher" orders which would not permit Teitel to do more than this.