A new and disturbing phenomenon has been developing in recent months in the Old City of Jerusalem in which Arabs attack Jews, mainly Chareidim, by deliberately colliding with them with great force.

Attorney Chaim Bleicher of the Honenu legal aid organization sent a letter to the state attorney’s office demanding the re-opening of a number of investigation files regarding the complaints of Chareidi Jews who were attacked by Arabs in this manner during the past year. The demand was submitted by Attorney Bleicher after he examined footage from police cameras in the Old City and determined that there was an identical pattern in all the cases – of Arabs encountering a group of Chareidi Jews in the alleys of the Old City, deliberately veering toward them and colliding with them with great force with the deliberate intention to harm them.

In his letter, Attorney Bleicher stated: “During the past year, I handled four cases in which Jews were attacked on the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem…via a deliberate collision. This is a real phenomenon that constitutes ‘mild terrorism’ from a criminal point of view, but in fact, its consequences are severe when it comes to this sensitive area [referring to the large number of terror attacks in the Old City].”

“Due to the special importance of the fight against terrorism, I would like to reopen the review of these cases, to treat the attacks with the appropriate seriousness, and to re-examine the extent of justice against the attackers.”

“The goal of Muslim terrorism is to sow fear among the Jewish population and make life miserable for them in Israel and in our capital city of Jerusalem. Terrorists use a variety of ways to achieve their goals. Repeated and persistent attacks on Jews via deliberate collisions and other humiliations and assaults constitute an act of terrorism. These terrorists must be fought with great strength – without concessions and the closure of cases.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)