Israeli court indicts 11 Israeli teens for racially motivated attack against Arabs

Tuesday May 13, 2008 07:42

by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Jerusalem District Court indicted on Monday eleven Israeli teens from Jerusalem for racially motivated attacks against two Arab youth in the city on the eve of the Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israeli online daily Haaretz reported.

The Eleven youth apparently attacked and stabbed two Arabs in the city.

Haaretz stated that the indictment reads that Yaakov Ben Haim, Liran Asraf and Morali Ben Moshe, 18 – 19 years old, along with eight other underage Israelis, are accused of stabbing two Arab youth of Jerusalem, aged 16 and 18.

The eleven youth are charged with racially motivated attack, participating in fights and conspiring to commit a crime.

The attack took place near the entrance of a shopping mall in Pisgat Zeev neighborhood in Jerusalem.

One of the Arab youth was left unconscious and the other was stabbed several times in his back. Both were moved to Hadassah University Hospital in the city, Haaretz added.

Haaretz stated that on May 1, the attackers gathered in Pisgat Zeev after receiving instant messages on ICQ .

“It's time to put an end to all the Arabs that hang out in the neighborhood and at the mall, whistle to girls, curse and threaten little children. Any Jew who wishes to put an end to this should arrive at the burger ranch, where we will finally teach them not to walk around in our area. Whoever is willing to do this and has the Jewish blood to do so”, the message reads as published by Haaretz.

Haaretz also said that the indictment states that a similar message was sent one week later, close to the Israeli Memorial Day, in which Israelis remember their fallen combatants.

After the first message was sent, dozens of Israeli teens arrived at the scene and were carrying knives, batons and pieces of wood.