10 Jewish suspects indicted in brutal Jerusalem mob beating of Palestinians

Seven adults and three minors allegedly beat three Arab victims unconscious with pipes and bats in alleged hate crime.

By DANIEL K. EISENBUD
Man in handcuffs - illustrative (photo credit: INGIMAGE / ASAP)
Man in handcuffs - illustrative
(photo credit: INGIMAGE / ASAP)
An indictment was filed at the Jerusalem District Court on Monday morning against seven Jewish men and three minors suspected of brutally beating two Arab men in the city’s northern Neveh Ya’acov neighborhood in an alleged hate crime.
The suspects, who are between the ages of 15 and 27, reside in the neighborhood where the late-night July 25 attack took place.
While the names of the suspects have not been released, the court said that one of the adults is a former IDF soldier, while another was a conscript, scheduled to enlist days after the assault.
The victims, Amir Shawiki and Ahmed Kasuani, both 20 and residents of east Jerusalem’s Beit Hanina neighborhood, claimed that the suspects pummeled them after asking for a cigarette.
Shawiki and Kasuani were beaten unconscious by the pipe-wielding group, the indictment said.
“The accused and the minors continued to beat the plaintiffs as they lay on the ground,” it stated.
“They beat them fiercely with metal pipes and fists, and kicked them in the head and face and all over their bodies. Then the accused and the minors immediately ran away, leaving the plaintiffs lying on the ground in the park bleeding.”
The two victims were rushed to an area hospital after their assailants fled.
While condemning the attack, an attorney representing several of the suspects claimed that the two Palestinians came to Neveh Ya’acov with criminal intent, which will “put a different light” on the incident.
Another defense attorney claimed that his client was not involved, while another representing a 15-yearold suspect claimed the boy was coerced into a false confession with the promise that his brother would be released.