Court indicts 9 teens for attack on Arab youth in downtown Jerusalem

Nine teens accused of brutally attacking and seriously injuring Jamal Julani on August 17 were indicted on Tuesday in Jerusalem District Court.

The prosecution charged the oldest of the group, 19-year-old Shimon Siman Tov, with incitement, calling for violence, and racially motivated assault. According to the indictment, he and other teens, while loitering in the downtown area, repeatedly teased and cursed Arabs, and ended by beating Julani.

In another indictment Tuesday, seven minors were accused of similar crimes relating to the attack. A 15-year-old girl was charged with involvement in the incident in magistrate’s court and released from custody earlier.

The incident occurred on August 16, when a group of Arabs was assaulted by approximately 15 Jewish teenagers in the heart of Jerusalem while dozens of bystanders looked on. The main victim, 17-year-old Julani of East Jerusalem, nearly died from his injuries and was hospitalized in critical condition.

Police said the attack was an unprovoked, “extremely severe crime” that had been instigated only because the victims were Arabs. Nine youths suspected of being involved in the beating have been arrested.

The attack drew widespread condemnation from Israel’s leaders, including Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres, Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya’alon and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat.

Netanyahu said that “in the State of Israel we aren’t willing to tolerate racism and we aren’t willing to tolerate the combination of racism and violence.”

“This is something that we cannot accept — neither as Jews nor as Israelis,” he added. “This is not our way; this is opposed to our ways; and we condemn it in word and deed. We will quickly bring to justice those responsible for this reprehensible incident.”