Tuesday, March 15, 2022, 12:35 Honenu Attorney Ophir Steiner filed a civil suit for damages on behalf of R., a young Jewish resident of Ma’aleh Adumim, who was brutally assaulted by an Arab in the city. The assailant is being sued for 90,000 NIS for emotional damages and damages to R.’s health and car. The civil suit was filed after the assailant admitted to the charges against him and was sentenced in a criminal trial to an active prison term.
In the statement of claim filed with the Jerusalem Magistrates Court, the attack is described: “On 8/7/2021, at approximately 22:00, the defendant was walking with several other people on ‘Kikar HaNesher’ in the community of Ma’aleh Adumim. They were shouting, walking in the street, and disrupting traffic. My client, who was driving his car at the time, turned to the defendant and asked him why he and his friends were disrupting traffic. In response, the defendant cursed my client, spit at him, and attempted to open his car door.
“My client stopped his car, got out, and called 100 [emergency police number] as the defendant advanced towards him, he called out, ‘I will slaughter you,’ and other aggressive curses. Then the assailant approached my client and punched him in the face. He also tripped him onto the ground, bent over him, and punched him in the face with the assistance of another assailant who was with him… He tried to choke my client, threw rocks at him, and brutally damaged my client’s car. This was all while he was trying to physically harm my client. The attempts stopped only after policemen from the Israel Police physically restrained him.
“My client was caused pain and suffering during the violent incident he experienced as the assailant viciously beat him, together with his friends, even when he was on the ground. He suffered from pain in many parts of his body. The pain was paired with fear and stress from the situation he was in, in which a gang of people surrounded him and beat him over and over again. At the time, it was not clear to my client how long they were going to continue and how serious his physical injuries were. This is in addition to the serious damage to my client’s car.”
After filing the suit, Honenu Attorney Ophir Steiner made a statement: “Honenu assisted the crime victim with realizing his rights and filing a civil suit, in which he demanded that the assailant who injured him and damaged his property compensate him for damages and suffering. Every terrorist must know that if they injure an Israeli citizen, not only will they be put on a criminal trial, but they will also be required to bear full responsibility for the consequences of their acts and to pay out of their own pocket for the damages. We encourage every crime victim to demand all of the rights due to them by law.”