/ 13 September 2012

Jewish minors charged over attack on Palestinian man

Israel's justice ministry has confirmed prosecutors have charged six Jewish minors with a hate attack on a Palestinian man in Jerusalem last week.
Israel's justice ministry has confirmed prosecutors have charged six Jewish minors with a hate attack on a Palestinian man in Jerusalem last week.

The ministry said in a statement received by Agence France-Presse that the six set upon Ibrahim Abu Taa, a 28-year-old hotel employee from mainly Arab east Jerusalem, late last Wednesday as he and a Jewish workmate drove a female colleague home in the blue-collar Katamon neighbourhood after partying at a west Jerusalem club.

It said they stopped the car at the entrance to the woman's street as she felt unwell and got out to be sick. There, Abu Taa was accosted by the young Jewish teens.

"One of the accused asked the Jewish man if the complainant was Arab," the statement said. "When he said 'yes', the other said 'there'll be no Arab here'."

"At that point the accused began to choke and push the complainant and punch and kick him all over his body … all this from racist motives, because the complainant is an Arab," it said.

It said that all six, whose names cannot be released because of their ages, were charged with serious assault and two were charged with stealing money from Abu Taa's wallet.

Abu Taa, a resident of the Wadi Joz neighbourhood, was hospitalised with a broken ankle and bruising all over his body.

The incident followed the recent beating of a 17-year-old Palestinian by a group of young Jews in the heart of Jerusalem, an incident greeted with shock and outrage by Israelis and Palestinians alike.

Nine Israelis, including eight minors, were charged with seriously injuring Jamal Julani, a Palestinian from east Jerusalem, on the night of August 16/17.

The nine, including a female minor, face trial for incitement to racism, incitement to violence and aggravated and racially motivated assault. – AFP