Sunday, August 31, 2025, 7:39 In April 2019, Arabs attacked three Jews serving as observers on behalf of the Likud party during elections in northern Israel. The observers filed a complaint at the police station over the attack. The police opened an investigation and detained several suspects. However, a year ago, the State Attorney’s office closed the case, despite incriminating evidence against the attackers, including video recordings from security cameras of the attack. Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher appealed the decision.
Jewish Likud observers escaping Umm al-Fahm, 2019 elections;
Video credit: Security camera
In the appeal, Attorney Bleicher described the incident: “On April 9, 2019, several people attacked the appellees as they tried to exercise their right to vote at a polling station at the Al-Mutanabi School in Umm al-Fahm. The appellees, who were serving as observers in the town and were not able to vote at a polling station in their place of residence, needed to vote shortly before the polls closed, and went to the nearest ‘accessible polling station’ in Umm al-Fahm. When they arrived at the site, they were stopped by a police officer who took their identification cards and started to check them. A large number of Arabs gathered around the appellees in a threatening manner, and then some of them starting attacking the appellees. Sensing that their lives were endangered, the appellees forfeited their right to vote, and hurried to leave the site.
“As they entered their car and tried to leave, Arabs blocked them with a vehicle and a motorcycle. The appellees evaded [the barrier] and drove away. Then, their nightmare journey on the streets of the city began. Arabs in several cars and the aforementioned motorcyclist chased them. At some point, a traffic jam formed and the appellees’ were forced to stop. The Arabs got out of their cars and beat the appellees’ car with batons, shattering the windshield. The appellees felt that their lives were endangered, but fortunately escaped. When they reached El-Ayoun Intersection, their car was blocked again. The assailants got out of their cars and tried to open the appellees’ car doors. Some of them struck the car and threw objects at it. The appellees maintained their composure and extricated themselves from the situation. In the end, they escaped the attack and fled the city, hitting another car during the escape.”
The appeal further underscored that some of the attacks and part of the chase were clearly recorded by security cameras. In addition, some of the suspects, who repeatedly tried to change their testimony, connected themselves to the incident.
Attorney Bleicher reacted to the horrific attack: “More and more Arabs joined in unrestrained violence and a life-threatening chase. Their decisive aim was to ambush and murder Jews. At the last moment, the driver’s quick-wittedness and a genuine miracle saved the observers from tragedy. None of the ‘Israeli’ Arabs took the trouble to call the police or try to prevent the murderous rioting. The police officer at the polling station also did not call for officers to rescue the Jews. We pushed for a thorough investigation of the attack, and in the end, the police gathered significant evidence against some of the attackers. The State Attorney’s office added insult to injury by closing the case. We insist on severe punishment for the attackers, and we demand that the State Attorney’s office put them on trial for the terror attack before the statute of limitations expires.”