(JTA) — Five Israeli Jews were indicted for attacking a janitor because he was Arab.
The five defendants, four of them minors, were indicted Thursday in Jerusalem District Court, Haaretz reported.
According to the indictment, after a night of partying in central Jerusalem earlier this month, the alleged assailants went on a quest for an Arab to beat up. Arriving at Liberty Bell Park at about 7 a.m., the five spotted the janitor working and began cursing him, saying “You Arab son of a bitch, your Muhammad is a pig.” The five allegedly shoved, hit and kicked the janitor for several minutes, continuing to kick him after they knocked him down. One is accused of stealing the victim’s cellphone.
The victim’s coworker, a gardener in the park, tried to intervene but was unsuccessful.
The prosecution has asked that Netanel Goldenberg, the one defendant who is legally an adult and can thus be publicly identified, be held without bail until the end of the trial.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
