Israeli prosecutors charge 3 Jewish suspects over 'attempted lynching' of Arab man pulled out of his car and beaten during live broadcast

RT
Mon, 24 May 2021 18:40 UTC

© AFP / Gil Cohen-Magen

A vandalized Arab restaurant after clashes in the Israeli town of Bat Yam on May 12.

Two Jewish men and an unnamed minor were indicted on charges of attempted murder and terrorism Monday over a brutal attack that landed an Arab man in hospital during the height of Israeli-Palestinian tensions earlier this month.

The victim, Saeed Mousa, was assaulted by a mob in the town of Bat Yam on May 12 as an exchange of strikes between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Gaza-based armed group Hamas provoked a wave of violent Jewish-Palestinian clashes inside Israel.

Mousa was dragged out of his car and harshly beaten with flagpoles and even an electric scooter in a shocking attack broadcast on live TV. The Israeli-Arab was taken to hospital in serious condition, but has reportedly improved.

WARNING! DISTURBING FOOTAGE

On Monday, the Tel Aviv District Attorney's Office charged Netanel Binyamin, 25, Lahav Ohanina, 18, and a 16-year-old minor, whose name couldn't be disclosed for legal reasons, over the attack on Mousa. In its statement, the prosecutors described the incident as an "attempted lynching".

The three have been indicted over the attempted murder of Mousa and face other charges ranging from aggravated intentional assault to causing a public disturbance and incitement to terrorism. They acted out of nationalist and racist motives, the prosecutors said.

The suspects are also believed to have taken part in an attack on an Arab-owned restaurant, while shouting "Death to Arabs," on that same day.

According to prosecutors, the trio were active members of a group on WhatsApp, which urged Jews to come to the promenade in Bat Yam in order to target Israeli-Arabs.

Comment: Groups also organize on Twitter (where is the ban/block?) A sample from one group, as monitored by @FakeReporter and @HacBloc who passed on the information to police. One wonders how much use they made of it.

1 / * Updated emergency threading * In light of the events our researchers along with @FakeReporter Groups monitor calls for violence and rioters' organizations. In this thread we upload documentation on a regular basis. No one in the authorities could claim that he did not know.

"Beginners: Call to arrive tonight at 19:30 armed with batons and fists to the German colony, J.M."

The Israeli public broadcaster Kan reportedly filmed Ohanina saying that he and the others took to the streets on May 12 "to fight with Arabs," declaring "we will beat them; if necessary, we will kill them."

On Sunday, the Israeli Justice Ministry announced that it had so far filed 140 indictments against around 230 people in relation to the clashes and rioting earlier this month. The ministry didn't reveal the nationalities of the suspects, but the Jerusalem Post paper reported that only around 20 of them were Jews while the majority were Arabs.

Comment: The cycle of violence continues:

Israeli police said in a tweet on Monday that a terrorist arrived at a rail station, pulled out a knife and wounded two people. "Police officers who were on the scene responded quickly, fired at the attacker - and neutralized him," the post reads.

The assailant injured two men in their 20s during the attack, one seriously and one moderately, according to Israel's Magen David Adom ambulance service.

A widely circulated video appears to show one of the victims wearing an Israeli military uniform. In the graphic video, the man can be seen kneeling with a knife in his back while medics treat him.

The incident took place near the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, where the possible eviction of Palestinian families was a flashpoint for mass protests that sparked the 11-day war between Israel and Gaza militants.

Images published by Reuters appear to show the assailant motionless on the side of the road while surrounded by medics and security personnel. Israeli security forces have been deployed to the area and can be seen standing on guard.

A ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Egypt, has held for four days but tensions remain high in East Jerusalem. On Friday, violent clashes erupted at Al-Aqsa mosque, just hours after the ceasefire was agreed.