Off-duty soldiers assaulted by Arab gang in Haifa

Israel police arrested four men on suspicion of assaulting two off-duty Israeli soldiers in Haifa on Friday night, Channel 10 news reported Saturday.

A gang of a dozen or more Arab teens attacked the two Israeli soldiers outside Haifa’s Rambam Hospital after a night out, the report said. The soldiers’ relatives claimed the assault was unprovoked, and that the gang threw rocks and sharp objects at them. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Haifa Police Commander Moshe Cohen attributed the attack to nationalistic motives.

Walla! news quoted one of the injured soldiers saying: “Ten of them sat on me at once, hit me with stones, and I tried to protect my face.” One soldier had some writing — possibly an address, Maariv reported — etched into his scalp with a sharp object.

Hospital security guards chased off the mob, and the soldiers were treated at the hospital for bruises and scratches.

Maariv reported that the two injured Israelis had gone to Rambam Hospital Friday evening after one felt ill during a night out. Upon leaving the hospital after treatment, they were attacked.

Minister of Internal Security, Yitzhak Aharonovitch (Yisrael Beitenu) was quoted by Maariv on Saturday evening saying that a quick investigation will bring about the arrests of the remaining suspects. “We will not tolerate this kind of behavior and it cannot be that such an incident would occur in the city known for co-existence.”

The attack came hours after violent protests erupted on the Temple Mount and near the Kalandia refugee camp north of Jerusalem. Dozens were injured in either incident, and a protester who reportedly launched firecrackers at soldiers was shot dead.