Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher; Photo credit: Honenu
Tuesday, July 21, 2020, 12:20 Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher: “We will continue to demand a price from anyone who carries out a racially motivated assault on a Jew.”
The Jerusalem Magistrates Court has authorized a compromise agreement of 8,000 NIS in compensation to a hareidi Jew injured by Jamal Asili, a Hamas activist. In criminal proceedings, Asili was convicted of racially motivated assault and injury and identifying with a terror organization. An active prison sentence of 18 months and payment of 9,000 NIS in compensation to the victim were imposed on him. Afterwards, the injured party filed a civil suit, in the framework of which the assailant paid him 6,000 NIS and will pay him an additional 8,000 NIS in compensation, bringing the total compensation to 23,000 NIS.
The assault occurred approximately six years ago, on a Shabbat evening. The hareidi Jew and his friends were walking on HaGai Street in the Old City of Jerusalem on their way to prayers at the Western Wall when Asili started to follow them. At some point Asili took a belt with a metal buckle and beat the hareidi Jew. The strong blow knocked off the hat that he was wearing and injured his head. After the assault, Asili fled the scene and the injured party called out for help. Policemen who arrived on the scene assisted the victim and he was taken to a Terem health clinic where his head injury was treated with a skin adhesive.
During the criminal proceedings, “posts which indicate support of a terror organization, identification with such an organization, and incitement to violence or terror” that Asili had shared on his Facebook page at the time of the assault were revealed. Among other postings, Asili consistently praised acts of terror in which Israeli citizens were murdered, in real time and close to when they were carried out.