Suspect arrested in attack on cultural figure Gefen

Assault, thought to be politically motivated, came day after artist made comments bemoaning the Right-wing election win.

By ALON HOCHMON, BEN HARTMAN
Israeli author Yehonatan Gefen (photo credit: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / NACHOOM ASSIS)
Israeli author Yehonatan Gefen
(photo credit: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / NACHOOM ASSIS)
Ten days after well-known author, songwriter and commentator Yehonatan Gefen was assaulted at his home in central Israel, police arrested a suspect for the attack.
The suspect is a resident of Bikat Ono was being questioned by the police.
The Petah Tikva Magistrates Court ordered a media blackout on all details relating to the identity of the suspect.
Following the incident, David Moshvitz, Gefen's attorney and friend, said Geffen received a knock on the door at his home on Moshav Beit Yitzhak in the Sharon region and opened the door because he thought it was his neighbor.
Instead, he saw a man he did not recognize who punched him, knocking him to the floor. The man then called him a “lefty,” “murderer” and “traitor,” and threw an egg at him, before fleeing, Moshvitz said.
The incident came a day after Geffen posted on Facebook the text of comments he made the night before during a performance in Tel Aviv.
“The 17th of March should be declared the Nakba [catastrophe] of the peace camp. The people again chose the person whose rule is based on scaring the people, a racist who on the day of the election told the media that Arabs are making their way to the voting stations in droves. All those who voted for Bibi, do me a favor, don’t cry when your children die in the next stupid [IDF] operation,” Geffen said. “You again voted for a leader who promises us death, not life, fear and not hope.”