Three Jews charged with lynching attempt of Arab
The Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office filed on Monday an indictment in the city Magistrate’s Court against three Jews who are suspected of participating in riots and a lynching attempt of an Arab citizen in the city of Bat Yam earlier this month.
Riots in Bat Yam May-13 Pic: Facebook
The three defendants, Natanel Binyamin, 25, Lahav Ohanina, 18, and a 16-year-old minor, were charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, intentional sabotage of a car with a racist motive, racist theft, racist riots, racist incitement and incitement to terrorism – each according to his share, after the defendants took part in a violent incident in Bat Yam last that included riots, racist chants and an attempt to lynch of an Arab motorist caught by the mob.
The incident took place in the midst of the IDF’s military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and as multiple similar incidents were perpetrated by Arabs against Jews all around the country.
According to the indictment, on May 12, groups on social media called for violent actions against Arabs and businesses owned by Arabs on the Bat Yam promenade, with Binyamin and the minor taking an active part in WhatsApp groups inciting harm to Arabs.
In the evening, Ohanina and dozens of other people arrived at the promenade in Bat Yam, with the aim of harming businesses belonging to Arab citizens. They first vandalized an Arab-owned restaurant.
Bat Yam May-13 Pic: Facebook
At around 21:30, an Arab motorist arrived on the promenade and stopped his vehicle in a traffic jam, when one of the rioters approached him and asked him if he was an Arab. After confirming his identity, the mob began assaulting him. The man, who felt in danger, tried to escape from the rioters and drove his car backward but collided with the vehicle behind him, and then tried to drive forward with the rioters chasing him, but collided with another vehicle and had no escape route.
Subsequently, dozens of rioters, including Binyamin and the minor, attacked the man, forcibly removed him from the vehicle, electrocuted him with a shocker, knocked him to the floor and beat him. In addition, an electric scooter was thrown at him.
The attack on the Arab was stopped by passers-by, who defended him and kept the attackers away. The attackers left their victim lying on the ground badly bruised.
Binyamin walked away, then returned, kicking the man in the head and throwing a bottle at him, until he was forcibly removed by one of those present.
After the assault, the minor photographed the victim while cursing him with the intention of posting the video online and humiliating the man.
Simultaneously with the assault, the rioters, including Binyamin and Ohanina, sabotaged the man’s vehicle, smashed the windshields, broke the mirrors, and tried to dislodge the car’s doors.
After the incident, Ohanina was interviewed by a Channel 11 reporter and threatened to harm the Arabs.
“We went out today to clash with Arabs so we can show them that they cannot send missiles here, we are no longer children… we will beat them, if necessary we will kill them,” he said.
The request for detention until the end of the proceedings stated that “the gathering and rioting on the promenade in Bat Yam were organized and planned to harm the Arabs. The respondents came to the scene with the intention of participating in the violent incident and did not chance upon the incident. The three respondents took a dominant part.”
According to the indictment, Binyamin was charged with an act of terrorism of attempted murder, intentional sabotage of a vehicle, theft with a racist motive, and a riot that results in damage with a racist motive.
The minor was charged with a terrorist act of aggravated sabotage, incitement to terrorism, incitement to racism, and a riot that ended in harm with a racist motive.
Ohanina was charged with incitement to violence, incitement to racism, rioting that resulted in damage with a racist motive, intentional sabotage of a vehicle with a racist motive, and theft from a racist motive.
Further arrests are expected.
Israel’s leadership and politicians roundly condemned the violence.
The police have also arrested over 1,500 Arabs who are accused of similar acts against Jews.
