'Bnei Akiva attack was not anti-Semitic'

Paris prosecutors decide beating of three Jews by twelve people a case of "voluntary violence."

By TALIA DEKEL, AP
anti semitism 224.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
anti semitism 224.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
Paris prosecutors have decided that an attack on three Jewish youths earlier in September did not have anti-Semitic motives. The incident occurred on September 6, when three counselors from the Bnei Akiva youth movement were attacked not far from the organization's central branch in Paris. The attack sparked renewed concern that anti-Semitic violence was on the rise in France. The country has western Europe's largest population of Jews and Muslims. A judicial official said Wednesday that the prosecutors office had opened an investigation against five youths - one of them Jewish - for voluntary violence. The official, not authorized to speak publicly of the case, requested anonymity. The boys, aged between 17 and 18, had just finished the minha prayer when they were attacked by the group, the head of Bnei Akiva's French desk, Binyamin Tuati, told The Jerusalem Post following the attack. According to a statement released by World Bnei Akiva spokesman Tzvika Klein, the youths were initially approached by a group of three Muslim/African immigrants who began to throw chestnuts in their direction. When one of the counselors asked them why they were being attacked, the assailants began shouting anti-Semitic remarks. At the time it was reported that ten to 12 attackers wearing brass knuckles joined the original three and beat the three Jews until police arrived. The victims, Dan Nabet, Kevin Bitan and David Buaziz, were all released from the hospital sporting several wounds, including a broken nose, a broken jaw and stitches.