The detained Bedouins; Photo credit: Free use
Saturday, September 7, 2024, 22:36 Yesterday (Friday), in the pasture land of Mevo’ot Yeriho, Bedouins viciously beat a Jewish shepherd with clubs. The shepherd called for assistance, and the owner of the flock came quickly, accompanied by security forces. When the Bedouin attackers saw that help had arrived, they left the shepherd, who was injured and required medical treatment. Afterward, he filed a complaint at the Binyamin Police Station. Police officers went to the site of the attack and detained several Bedouins for interrogation. The Bedouins apparently came from Marjat, an illegal Bedouin encampment partially located within the jurisdiction of Mevo’ot Yeriho.
Residents of Mevo’ot Yeriho say that the attack was preceded by incitement by anarchists and left-wing activists that had increased over the past few days and was focused on Jewish shepherds in the area. The residents also cited posts that left-wing activist Guy Hirshfeld had placed on social media over the past week. The posts shared recordings of the shepherd and called him a terrorist.
Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher, who is assisting the shepherd in exercising his rights as a terror victim stated, “This was a serious attack, an ambush, that must be urgently dealt with by the security forces. The assailants must be penalized to the full extent of the law. The attack could have ended differently, in murder, as have similar incidents in the past. Deterrence must be painful. The courts must sentence assailants to long prison terms.”
“The incitement on social media by left-wing activists is translated by the Bedouins into brutal violence,” said the farm owner. “We were very close to a repeat of the Binyamin Ahimeir incident, G-d forbid.”
In April, 2024, an Arab from Kafr Duma attacked and viciously stabbed and murdered Binyamin Ahimeir, Hy”d, while the latter was grazing a flock of sheep near the Malachei HaShalom farm, in the Binyamin region.