A young Arab man left the Temple Mount about six months ago and attacked a Jew in the Old City. Recently, the Jew was shocked to discover that although the attack was recorded on security cameras, and although the attacker admitted to the assault and cited his motive as being Jew-hatred, the case against him was closed.
The investigation case against the young Arab who confessed to assaulting a Jew was closed—even though the incident was documented and the assailant admitted that he attacked his victim out of a racist motive. Attorney Ophir Steiner of the Honenu legal aid society who represents the victim filed an appeal with the State Attorney’s Office requesting to reopen the case.
The attack took place about half a year ago when the Jew was walking toward the Western Wall and the young Arab was coming out of the Temple Mount. The appeal describes how the Jew walked on Hagai Street in Jerusalem, “preoccupied and talking on his cellphone and turned to Via Dolorosa. At that point, a group of about six young Arabs approached the complainant from the opposite direction.
“One of them moved away from the rest, and violently attacked the complainant, forcibly hitting the complainant with his shoulder,” Attorney Steiner described. The Jew immediately turned to a police officer who was nearby, and, according to the appeal: “From the report that was filed by the officer to whom the complainant turned immediately after the assault, it appears that the complainant complained to the police officer about his assault by the assailant immediately after the incident. The officer immediately detained the attacker, who said that ‘he doesn’t know why he attacked the victim.'”
However, the appeal notes that during the assailant’s police interrogation, he admitted to assaulting the Jew for racist motives:
Interrogator: “The investigation material shows that you didn’t just come across him and push him, right?”
Perpetrator: “True.”
Interrogator: “Do you hate Jews?”
Perpetrator: “Yes.”
Investigator: “Why do you hate Jews?”
Perpetrator: “Because they harm all the Palestinian citizens.”
Interrogator: “Did you push the Jew because he is a Jew?”
Perpetrator: “Yes”
Interrogator: “How did you push him?”
Perpetrator: “With my shoulder”
Interrogator: “Do you know that it means you did it for racist reasons?”
Perpetrator: “Yes.”
Attorney Steiner referred to many additional case materials related to the assault: “An examination of the investigation material shows that the complainant’s version is consistent with the existing video in the case and with the attacker’s confession, and is also supported by the report written by the police officer to whom the complainant turned for help immediately after the assault. Hence, the evidence proves the complainant was assaulted by the assailant based on a racist motive, which satisfies the standard required in the criminal law,” Steiner argued.
In Steiner’s opinion, the closure of the case could set a precedent that would jeopardize the safety of other citizens: “An incident during which a Jew walking innocently on the street was attacked violently solely for being a Jew should not be taken lightly. The attacker must be punished to the full extent of the law so others will see it and come to fear the law. This a predominant public interest – maintaining public safety and preventing violent events stemming from a racist-nationalist motive.”
“Closing a case involving such a serious crime is contrary to the position of the legislature regarding the seriousness of these acts, and may harm the security of the citizens,” Attorney Steiner concluded his appeal and demanded that the case be reopened and that the attacker be brought to justice.