6 Jerusalem residents arrested for beating Druze IDF vet

Police arrested six residents of Jerusalem on Monday for the beating of a Druze university student last Thursday near the city’s Central Bus Station, apparently after the assailants heard the young man speak Arabic.

Police asked the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court to remand the suspects in custody.

The victim, 21-year-old Tommy Hasson, had recently moved to Jerusalem from his home town of Daliyat al-Karmel in the north to study music. Before being discharged from the army three months ago, Hasson served in the Druze Herev battalion and was later assigned to a position at the President’s Residence.

Hasson said some 10 men assaulted him with broken glass bottles and other sharp objects. He added that the attackers had initially assaulted him verbally and spat on him after he conversed with a friend in Arabic.

The attackers were allegedly Jewish and wore skullcaps.

Following the attack, Hasson was rushed to the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in the capital, where he underwent emergency medical treatment for various injuries.

Hasson was released from the hospital on Friday.

President Reuven Rivlin on Friday called Hasson’s father to express support for the family and condemn the incident.

“Tommy, a Druze who was recently released from army service in the military secretariat to the president, is hospitalized at Hadassah Hospital he was severely beaten last night,” Rivlin wrote on his Facebook page later Friday, in a post accompanied by a photo of Hasson and himself. It was not clear when the picture was taken.

“I talked to his father this morning and could not believe my ears,” he continued. “A man who is integrally linked to this country, attacked with such terrible violence. We are brothers, and all of us must condemn such terrible behavior.”

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.