Jewish man indicted for punching Arab man’s face, shouting racial insults

Jeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter

An Israeli Jew, Elazar Leibowitz, 19, is indicted on charges of racially motivated assault for allegedly punching an Arab man who was sitting in his parked vehicle, and shouting racist epithets at him.

According to the indictment filed by the Haifa division of the State Attorney’s Office, the 40-year-old victim was waiting in his car in a car park before starting a work shift on October 23 in the city of Hadera.

Leibowitz pulled up in his own car, got out, approached the victim’s car and asked to speak with him through the vehicle window to verify he was an Arab.

Leibowitz then opened the driver door, punched the man in the face, said “Go, you Arab,” and then kicked at the car as the man sought to drive off, the indictment says.

The victim suffered bruises on his face and eye socket.

Leibowitz is indicted on one count of racially motivated assault causing bodily harm.

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