The Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office filed an indictment in the District Court against Guad Mazaru, 25 and a resident of Jerusalem, after he attacked ultra-Orthodox Jews who were on their way to pray near the Temple Mount gates during the Passover holiday.
According to the indictment, during the Muslim month of Ramadan, riots, and assaults took place in the area of the Temple Mount and the Old City of Jerusalem, which included attacks on Israeli security forces and civilians with a nationalist and racist motivation.
During the week of Passover, five ultra-Orthodox-looking Jews walked on Sha’ar Ha’ariot Street, four of them wearing prayer shawls on their shoulders, on their way to pray near the Temple Mount gates. The defendant, along with about 10 others, decided to attack the five Jews, shouted at them in Arabic, and approach them menacingly. At one point, the defendant took a green trash can that was nearby and threw it forcefully at them.
The trash can hit the right hand of one of the complainants. The group, including the accused, attacked the complainants together. The defendant ran towards one of the complainants and hit him hard on the back of his neck and back several times while grabbing the complainant’s tallit to prevent him from escaping.
Two other attackers noticed that the complainant was bending in response to the assault of the accused, and took advantage of this to beat him. At the same time, other Muslims kicked and beat the other complainants. Shortly afterward, the group, including the defendant, fled to evade Border Police officers who noticed the assault and ran after them.
Most of the attack was documented by security cameras and cell phones.
The indictment attributes the defendant the committing an offense of sabotage in aggravated circumstances out of a motive of racism or hostility towards the public.
Simultaneously with the filing of the indictment, the prosecution filed a request for detention until the end of the legal proceedings against the defendant.
The indictment was filed on Thursday when Israel’s marked Yom HaShoah, its official Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Other Muslims involved in the assault of the Jewish worshipers were also arrested.
