Israeli security forces have recently arrested five Bedouins from the Negev who are suspected of involvement in three serious lynching attempts on Road 6 in May during the countrywide Muslim pogroms that took place during Operation Guarding of the Walls.
The Shin Bet security service revealed Monday that it was successful in cracking the three cases and subsequently arrested Qusai Al-Assad, Hassan Al-Assad, Omar Al-Assad, Aal Al-Assad, and another minor, all residents of Lakia in the Negev, on suspicion of involvement in a lynching attempt three Israeli drivers during a violent riot that occurred on the night of May 11.
In the first lynching attempt, a Jewish woman was attacked with rocks, and after being rescued by a truck driver who was at the scene, her vehicle was set on fire.
In the second incident, a Thai foreign worker was driving on the main highway when his vehicle was pelted with stones. After stopping the vehicle, the driver was taken out and violently assaulted, and later his car was set on fire. The driver was released only after the attackers realized he was not Jewish.
In the third lynching attempt, a Jewish citizen’s vehicle was attacked with rocks while an attempt was made to remove him from the vehicle by force. The driver was rescued when a police force arrived at the scene.
The five are facing indictments alleging serious offenses at the Be’er Sheva District Court.
The Shin Bet and the Israel Police “take all involvement of Israeli citizens in terrorist activity very seriously, and will continue to work to bring to justice those who work to harm the security of the country’s citizens,” they stated.
These incidents are three of the numerous violent attacks perpetrated by Muslims against Jews and Jewish property across the country in May as Hamas was firing rockets at the south of the country and as the IDF was engaged in Operation Guardian of the Walls.
Dozens of other perpetrators have been arrested in recent months.
Two Jewish men, Yigal Yehoshua and Avi Har-Even, were killed in the riots and dozens of others were injured.