Please click here for a list of posts relating to cases in which Honenu provided legal counsel to victims of antisemitic attacks in Jerusalem.
Wednesday, July 27, 2022, 9:34 Two Arabs kicked, tripped, shoved, and repeatedly punched a hareidi youth in the Old City of Jerusalem, on HaGai Street in mid-November 2021. They were convicted in a criminal trial and given active and suspended prison sentences. The youth sued his attackers for 60,000 NIS in compensation. After a recent hearing, at which neither of the Arab attackers was present, Jerusalem District Court Judge Penina Neuwirth awarded the youth a total of 60,000 NIS in compensation and an additional 7,020 NIS in attorney’s fees.
Honenu Attorney Ophir Steiner, who represented the claimant: “Civil suits against Arabs who attack Jews only because of their Jewish appearance are an important deterrence. We hope that potential attackers will see this ruling and be wary. Criminal penalization is not enough. Very often it is the financial loss which makes a bigger impression on attackers.”
Steiner described the incident in the statement of claim, part of which is summarized below:
The defendants’ sole motive was racism. The hareidi youth was caused pain and suffering during the violent attack and suffered from fear and stress when he realized that a group of people was surrounding him, two of whom injured him repeatedly. In real-time, it was not clear to the plaintiff how long the attack would last and how serious the injuries would be. A feeling of helplessness enveloped him and he felt like his body had turned into a sort of punching bag on which the defendants were taking out their anger.