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Israeli man arrested for 'racially-motivated' assault of Palestinian

June 22, 2017 at 3:49 pm

Image of Israeli security forces in Ramallah, West Bank on 15 May 2017 [Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency]

Israeli police are investigating an assault by an Israeli against a Palestinian resident of the Wadi Qaddum neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem that took place last weekend, police spokeswoman Luba Al-Samri said in a statement yesterday.

According to Al-Samri, the attack took place on an unspecified date over the weekend at a gas station in southern Jerusalem city. Police were alerted to a scuffle between two young men, and when they arrived, found the Palestinian with minor wounds, while the Israeli suspect had fled the scene.

“Investigations have so far revealed that the Palestinian, aged 25, was at the gas station with a 19-year-old Jewish girl when a Jewish young man stopped his car and approached him asking if he was Arab,” Al-Samri’s statement said.

Read: Israeli forces assault Palestinian man in Hebron

When the Palestinian answered “yes”, the Israeli man started to violently beat the Palestinian, bruising him and causing other minor injuries.

Israeli police arrested the suspect on 18 June, along with another suspect who was with him the day of the attack. Police are still investigating to what extent the second suspect was involved in the assault, Al-Samri said.

Al-Samri added that the main suspect is being charged with committing a “racially-motivated” attack.