In Emil Rafalov's cross-examination, it was clarified that he had known the defendant about three years earlier in an incident whose details he did not remember. It was also clarified that at that time Emil Rafalov was in detention under electronic supervision, he had never previously gone on any trip in the defendant's company, the defendant did not coordinate with him his arrival at his home in detail, but the two had discussed this possibility about a week earlier, when they met by chance. Emil Rafalov was not at all convinced that he would really travel with the defendant to Rashbi's tomb in Meron on the eve of Passover.
It is clear that no confidence should be placed in the suppressed versions of the defendant and Emil Rafalov, which were given several years after the day of the incident, without any explanation for their suppression. It should be recalled that at the time of the delivery of the alibi version in which it will be discussed (in September 2021), the defendant was of course also expected to give his version in relation to Emil Rafalov and to stay with his company, so that it could be verified or refuted, but after providing the alibi version that attributed the transfer of the Chevrolet car to Aviel Dadon, the defendant chose to remain silent again, as he had done in his previous interrogations prior to the filing of the indictment. Thus, the defendant had the opportunity, which lasted many months, to come up with the version regarding his stay with Emil Rafalov, and to "recruit" Emil Rafalov to join his version and support it, and that too during about half a year, between the first stage of Emil Rafalov's testimony and the second stage of that testimony.
The obvious conclusion from the defendant's activity is that his request was to keep a good distance from the Chevrolet vehicle used to commit the murder, and from the file that apparently contained incriminating objects.
It is not impossible that the defendant did not intend to purchase the Chevrolet car at all [since the vehicle had already passed a licensing test on March 16, 2021 and was found to be in good condition (as stated). Sigal Avioz, Ariel's mother, with whom she was forced to share the family Toyota car every day, was not even aware of the purchase of the Chevrolet car for her son Ariel (September 15, 2024, p. 4364), and Emil Rafalov, who allegedly hosted the defendant on the days when the car was in his possession, also did not hear about it.