Five Jews arrested for J'lem beating of Arab

Suspects admit to attacking Ibrahim Abu Ta'ah because they thought "he was abusing a Jewish girl."

By MELANIE LIDMAN
Police car in Tel Aviv at night 311 (photo credit: Yoni Cohen)
Police car in Tel Aviv at night 311
(photo credit: Yoni Cohen)
Three weeks after a suspected "lynch" attack in downtown Jerusalem against an Arab youth, Jerusalem police arrested five Jewish teenagers on Saturday who are suspected of another attack against an Arab man. Twenty-eight-year-old Ibrahim Abu Ta’ah, a resident of Wadi Joz, was on his way home from a club in Talpiyot with friends from work when he was attacked on Thursday night around midnight.
According to police, after they left the club, Abu Ta’ah was accompanying two Jewish co-workers to one of their apartments in Katamonim. The group, who work together at the Mamila Hotel, were on Rabbi Tzadok Street when they passed a group of about six or seven teenagers sitting on the side of the road. Abu Ta’ah told the media that his friend told him, “Ibrahim, just ignore them.” According to Abu Ta’ah, after the group heard his Arabic name they attacked him, beating his leg with a metal rod and punching him with their bare hands.
Abu Ta’ah was evacuated to Shaare Zedek Medical Center with a broken leg. Police arrived on the scene and tried to locate the suspects but they scattered after Abu Ta’ah’s coworker called the police. Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben Ruby said he expects additional arrests in the coming days.
The first three suspects, arrested earlier in the evening, admitted they were involved in the attack and told police that they thought “the Arab was abusing the Jewish girl.” Four of the suspects will have remand hearings on Sunday, and one -- a 16-year-old -- will have his hearing Monday.
The attack against Abu Ta’ah comes exactly three weeks after the lynch against 17-year-old Jamal Julani in Kikar Zion, when the Ras Al Amud teenager was attacked by a group of a dozen Jewish teenagers chanting racist slogans. Eight youth and one adult were indicted in connection with the attack.