Adalah demands criminal investigations into racist attacks on Arab Palestinian citizens

Adalah demands criminal investigations into racist attacks on Arab Palestinian citizens

In light of the recent sharp rise in racist attacks against Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, Adalah sent urgent letters this month demanding the opening of criminal investigations into two separate incidents. The first event, as reported in the media, concerned an attack by a group of young Jewish women on a young Arab woman at a light rail station in West Jerusalem on 25 February 2013. The second event reported relates to an attack by a group of young Jewish men against an Arab worker at a fast-food restaurant in Tel Aviv.

The letters, prepared by Adalah Attorney Nadeem Shehadeh, were sent to Minister of Internal Security Yitzhak Aharonovich and the Commander General of the Police Johanan Danino.

Arab woman attacked at Jerusalem train stop

According to media reports, an Arab woman was waiting at the train station when a Jewish woman attacked her without provocation by punching her in the face. The attacker was joined by a group of Jewish women who pushed the Arab woman against the station wall and removed her headscarf. According to witnesses, the letter added, a group of young ultra-Orthodox Jewish boys assaulted an elderly man who accompanied the young Arab woman, and cursed him. The security official working at the station allegedly saw the whole incident, but did nothing; he only stood by and watched.

Fast-food worker attacked late at night

Concerning the second attack, surveillance cameras installed in the fast-food restaurant captured the incident in full and the video was aired by different media stations. According to the tape, at about three o’clock in the morning, a group of young Jewish men attacked the Arab worker, began to curse him using racist terms, and then they started to hit him with objects in the restaurant, including chairs and tables.

Incidents motivated by racism

Attorney Shehadeh points out in the letters that both incidents were clearly motivated by racism. He wrote that in such cases, the motive behind the abuse can cause more than physical harm, because it affects the victim's dignity and identity. He stressed that these two incidents must be seen within the larger picture of growing racist attacks on Arab citizens in recent years. If they are not seriously investigated and the perpetrators punished, these incidents will continue.

No arrests made into second case

In response to the two letters, a police representative stated that criminal investigations were opened in both cases. In the case of the young woman in Jerusalem, three women were arrested and later released under conditions. Regarding the Arab worker attacked in Tel Aviv, at the time of the police reply, no suspects had yet been arrested.