Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 16:58 In April 2023, an Arab driver attacked a Jewish man driving in northern Israel. The assailant was arrested and convicted of actual assault, malicious vandalism, and unlawful stopping and disrupting of traffic. He was sentenced in criminal proceedings to seven months’ community service, and the victim was awarded NIS 10,000 compensation. Subsequently, Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher, acting on behalf of the victim, filed a civil suit against the assailant with the Nof HaGalil Magistrates Court. The court awarded the victim NIS 95,000 in compensation.
The assault on Route 754; Videos courtesy of the videorgraphers
In the statement of claim, Attorney Bleicher described how the victim was attacked without cause: “On April 24, 2023, the claimant was driving on Route 754 in Kafr Kanna toward Tiberias, near a Paz gas station. The one-lane road widened into two lanes, and as the claimant entered the right lane, he passed a silver-toned Toyota Corolla driven by the defendant. After the claimant passed the defendant on the right, the latter stopped his car in the middle of the road, blocking traffic behind him.
“The defendant got out of his car and walked towards the claimant, who had stopped his car in the right lane. The defendant attempted to open the claimant’s car’s front door but the claimant locked it. The defendant then punched the claimant through the open car window striking his face and upper body, as he sat in his car, attempting to defend himself. The claimant was injured in the face, with blood streaming from his nose, and he was transported by ambulance to Poriya Hospital. After treatment he was released to his home. However, several hours later, the claimant returned to the hospital due to worsening headaches and vomiting.”
Attorney Bleicher reacted to the incident: “Arab attackers take advantage of any opportunity to terrorize Jewish motorists. We will continue to make every effort to create deterrence by exacting a high price from these cruel assailants.”