Police announced on Thursday morning that a fourth suspect, a male in his 20s, has been taken into custody in the ongoing investigation into abuse of elderly Jews in the Machane Yehuda area. The latest suspect, like the others, are Arabs, with the latest being a resident of the eastern capital as are the others.

The fourth suspect will be arraigned on Thursday in the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court. Police are continuing the investigation, which began when the suspects boasted their actions and uploaded videos of them abusing elderly persons in the shuk area to social media.

One of the victims, a well-known figure in the shuk is Avraham Maximov, 93, who runs a knife sharpening business in the shuk for decades. “In the last year, my grandfather has been physically, mentally and verbally abused by Arabs who work next to him in the shuk. One of them tried to extort money from him and scared him so he stopped coming to work” a grandson told the media.

The grandson added, “A year ago, grandfather complained to police that he was attacked with a bottle containing a caustic substance, but nothing was done and the situation since then got worse. A few days ago, I received the video with my grandfather via the app TikTok, in which he is humiliated and attacked by shuk Machane Yehuda Arabs. He and other helpless elderly are abused daily. What have we come to? How can this occur in our shuk in Yerushalayim? It is simply sad and upsetting that no one takes action.

“The police expect a 93-year-old man to come every time to file a complaint. Last time we went to the police she said there was no evidence and there was nothing that they can do.”

Police are continuing the investigation and there may be additional arrests. The case if being treated by police as being racist in motive.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)