The Israeli student who killed a Palestinian woman three months ago has been charged with manslaughter, but he deserves a worse fate. Aisha Rabi, 47, was travelling in a car being driven by her husband near the northern West Bank city of Nablus on Oct. 12 last year when it was hit by a stone. The stone went through the windshield on the passenger’s side and struck Rabi in the head. Her husband rushed her to a nearby clinic but she was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

In describing the attack as manslaughter, the Israeli court apparently concluded that although Rabi’s was an unlawful killing, it did not involve malice aforethought— that the student did not intentionally kill the woman. But even if this was not a premeditated murder, the facts point to at least a reckless disregard for life. The unnamed student is 16, old enough to know that his actions could have seriously harmed or killed somebody – which is exactly what happened. The stone he threw was more of a rock – two kilos. The rock smashed the windshield of the car, which was travelling at 100km per hour. It does not need an understanding of rocket science to figure out that the faster the car was moving, the greater the impact the rock would have. And even though the student denies the charge, the court was told that his DNA was found on the rock that caused Rabi’s death.

Just as significant, the student threw the rock when he noticed the vehicle had a Palestinian license plate, according to the indictment, an observation that led to what the prosecution called a terrorist act motivated by hostility towards Arabs.

Although the student has been remanded in custody and sentencing has not yet been past, all the evidence points to a charge much graver than manslaughter. Let it also be remembered that Rabi was a mother of eight and that one of her daughters, nine years old, was in the car, a witness to her mother’s horrific death.

And yet, the student and four of his classmates who were detained following the attack but were subsequently released on house arrest, received an outpouring of support in Israel from politicians and right-wing activists following their arrests. About 1,000 Israelis, including right-wing politicians and leaders of the settlement movement, protested outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem earlier this month in support of the suspects.

Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked even spoke over the phone with the mother of one of the Israeli teenagers, then met with the boys’ families to hear their concerns.

Of course, Shaked and her ilk never picked up the phone to console Rabi’s husband or any of the children of his slain wife. Why would they? Rabi’s murder encapsulates the dehumanization of Palestinians, and the complete denial about the reality of occupation. Violence by Jewish settlers and right-wing activists against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank is the norm; in fact, it’s getting worse. It tripled last year, with 482 such incidents reported by mid-December, compared to 140 for 2017. In addition to beating up and throwing stones at Palestinians, the offences consist of painting nationalist and anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim slogans, damaging homes and cars and cutting down trees belonging to Palestinian farmers.

Imagine what it must be like to be a Palestinian living in the occupied territories day after day: Their homes and properties can be taken, their bodies can be tortured, their lives can be extinguished. And all of the above with total impunity. Israel’s occupation degrades and brutalizes Palestinians. It is dedicated to protecting a settler population and apartheid system. Israelis are not only occupying Palestinian land; they convey the attackers of Palestinians the status of national heroes. Houses are demolished, children jailed, a mother killed - but the occupiers are considered champions.