The Teveria (Tiberias) Magistrate’s Court on Monday sentenced three Arabs who had attacked Breslov yeshiva students at the “Arbel Meeting place” gas station near Migdal, north of Teveria, last February to eight- and ten-month prison terms and compelled them to compensate their victims as part of a plea bargain.
Under the settlement, the defendants pleaded guilty to the offenses of assault and physical damage by two or more perpetrators, and an injury caused by an armed offender. Two of the attackers were sentenced to ten months in prison each, and the third to eight months in prison. In addition, they were sentenced to probation during which they would be imprisoned if they committed violent offenses, as well as NIS 10,000 ($3,060) in compensation to each victim, a total of NIS 30,000 ($9,180).
The three yeshiva students were evacuated to Poria Hospital with serious injuries after being severely attacked by the three Arabs at the gas station. They said the attackers beat them while shouting “Allahu akbar” and tried to run them over with their vehicle.
Honenu attorney Haim Bleicher who represented the victims, said in a statement, “This is a serious incident of violence. Unfortunately, the attackers were not indited for racist motives as well. In addition to that, and despite the evidentiary difficulties of the case, we insisted from the start on behalf of the victims that any plea deal would include actual and substantial prison terms and significant compensation.”
“We congratulate the Teveria Police Dept. of Prosecutions, which was invested in winning the case and fought to ensure that the attackers are not released to their homes and that they serve an actual prison sentence,” Bleicher said, and added: “We intend to file a civil lawsuit against the defendants, to continue our work to increase deterrence against anti-Semitic attackers so that everyone knows that it is not profitable to attack a person because he is a Jew.”
Yehuda, one of the victims in the attack, said, “This attack was severe and shocking. We stopped to refuel, and they shouted at us and cursed at us, came out at us with iron clubs. They did not stop beating us, they also pulled on our earlocks. I was sure we were done for.”
“It is reassuring to know that the attackers will sit in prison, beyond the payment of compensation. I hope that this punishment will make others think twice before they rush to attack Jews like that,” he added.
