The Israeli Supreme Court denied an appeal filed by Yosef Chaim Ben-David, the man convicted of the burning and killing of the Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir in July 2014.

Ben-David pleaded insane, which was rejected by the court, despite his claim that "in the past, I worked for ZAKA, I collected the remains of both Jews and Arabs. I've always sanctified human life and honored the dead."

In its ruling Justice Isaac Amit stated "The murder can be defined as a strategic terror attack which ignited Jerusalem in general, and east Jerusalem in particular," and added "The murder calls for a profound self-examination in the Israeli society on how to deal with the racism phenomenon."

Muhammed's father, Hussein Abu Khdeir, welcomed the Supreme Court's decision by saying "We want him to stay in prison for the rest of his life and die there”. He also added "They burned not only Muhammed but an entire family. I went crazy when they appealed to have their sentence reduced. Had the sentence been mitigated, there would have been more criminals like them. I want Muhammed to be the last victim of such a crime. The murderers are like the Nazis who burned people."

Abu Khdeir’s killing contributed to several clashes in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza. Protesters condemned the brutal act and blamed the Israeli government for their inaction.

The kidnapping and burning of Mohammed Abu Khdeir occurred on the morning of July 2, 2014 while he was waiting for friends outside a mosque during morning prayers in Shuafat, East Jerusalem. He was dragged into a car and taken to Jerusalem Forest, where he was burned alive after being beaten and forced to swallow petrol by the attackers, according to the autopsy.

Earlier in April 2016, a Jerusalem district court ruled that Ben-David and two other teenagers were convicted for the killing, kidnapping, and the setting Abu Khdeir on fire alive. One of the two teenagers was sentenced to life in prison and the other to 21 years.The offenders admitted their crime was a brutal act of revenge for the killing of three Jewish teenagers in the West Bank.

The Israeli Supreme Court denied an appeal filed by Yosef Chaim Ben-David, the man who is convicted of the burning and killing of the Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir in July 2014.

Ben-David argued the in court that he had been pleaded insane at the time of the crime which was rejected by the court.

He further said that "in the past, I worked for ZAKA, I collected the remains of both Jews and Arabs. I've always sanctified human life and honored the dead."

The decision was made by a panel of three judges, who also rejected an appeal filed by the minors convicted in the affair.

"The murder can be defined as a strategic terror attack which ignited Jerusalem in general, and east Jerusalem in particular," Justice Isaac Amit read from the ruling. "The murder calls for a profound self-examination in the Israeli society on how to deal with the racism phenomenon."

Muhammed's father, Hussein Abu Khdeir, welcomed the Supreme Court's decision stating. "We want him to stay in prison for the rest of his life and die there,” he said.

He also added "They burned not only Muhammed but an entire family. I went crazy when they appealed to have their sentence reduced. Had the sentence been mitigated, there would have been more criminals like them. I want Muhammed to be the last victim of such a crime. The murderers are like the Nazis who burned people."

Earlier in April 2016, a Jerusalem district court ruled that Ben-David and two other teenagers were convicted for the killing, kidnapping of Abu Khdeir, and setting him on fire alive.

One of the two teenagers who helped Ben-David in his insane crime was sentenced to life in prison and the other to 21 years. Each of the minors defendants was required to pay the Abu Khdeir family 30,000 shekels ($7,700) in compensation.

Ben-David was also ordered to pay 150,000 shekels ($43,000) to the Abu Khdeir family and 20,000 shekels to the Zalum family, whose son he Ben-David attempted to abduct a day before.

The kidnapping and burning of Mohammed Abu Khdeir occurred early on the morning of July 2, 2014., when Hhe was waiting for friends outside a mosque during morning prayers in Shuafat, East Jerusalem, beforethe incident he was kidnapped.

He was dragged into a car that drove him into and taken to Jerusalem Forest, where he was burned alive after being beaten and forced to swallow petrol by the attackers, according to the autopsy.

The defendants admitted their crime was as a brutal act of revenge for the killing of three Jewish teenagers in the West Bank.

Abu Khdeir’s killing contributed to several clashes erupted in Jerusalem, and several parts in the West Bank, and Gaza. The protestors, condemneding the brutal act and blameding the Israeli government of such racist insane acts.