One of the injured; Photo credit: Ezra Frank
Please see here a list of posts relating to cases in which Honenu provided legal counsel to victims of antisemitic attacks in Jerusalem.
Wednesday, April 28, 2021, 13:06 The police have reopened an investigative case of a 14-member family that was attacked by Arabs while traveling in a minibus through the East Jerusalem neighborhood of A-Tor on the night of Thursday, April 22. The driver of the minibus filed a complaint with the police, but they initially closed the case because they had not detained any suspects. On Tuesday, April 27, the case was reopened after Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher wrote a letter to the Shalem Police Department, which began an intensive investigation to locate the assailants.
The letter explains that a 14-member family, including elderly relatives, drove to the Mount of Olives to visit the grave-site of their grandfather. On their way home, Arabs, who identified the passengers of the minibus as Jews, opened a murderous attack on them. For several minutes the assailants threw rocks and boulders at the minibus, which was stuck in traffic and could not escape. The passengers lay on the floor, shielded their heads with their hands, and called the police. All of the windows were shattered (see video below), and the passengers were directly injured by the rocks.
Many of the passengers were injured to varying degrees. Some of them required medical treatment for head injuries and one woman suffered a facial injury. The driver, who could not bend down as the others did, was hit by rocks all over his body and evacuated in moderate condition to the Sha’arei Tzedek Hospital. Even after the police arrived, the assailants continued to throw rocks at the rescue personnel.
Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher: “We are pleased that following our letter, the police decided to open an investigation, and we expect them to apprehend suspects and imprison the assailants. This was a shocking incident in which a mob of terrorists attempted to murder an entire family in Jerusalem, in plain sight. The attack ended with many injuries and could have, G-d forbid, ended much worse. We call on the police to do everything they can to detain the assailants and their abettors and bring them to trial.”
The severely damaged minibus; Video credit: Ezra Frank