Violence (illustration)
Photo: Gil Nechushtan
Arab youth attacked by family for wearing Star of David
Ar'ara resident tells police his father, brothers beat him for wearing Jewish symbol on his neck, befriending Jews
A 15-year-old resident of the Israeli Arab local council of Ar'ara filed a complaint with the police, claiming that his father and brother beat him for wearing a Star of David on his neck and having Jewish friends.
The father was detained for questioning and a court extended his remand.
The youth arrived at a local police station over the weekend and asked to file a complaint against his father and brothers, claiming that they had attacked him. The father and brothers were questioned, but released immediately afterwards.
According to the police, the teen was beaten again after retuning home, causing him to return to the police station and file a second complaint. A police official said that visible signs of injuries were found on the minor's body.
The police reported the incident to the welfare authorities and the boy was removed from the house.
The father, 46, was detained for questioning on suspicion of attacking a minor and causing injuries, and was later taken to the Hadera Magistrate's Court for a remand hearing. The police told the court that the minor said he was afraid to return home and that this was not the first time he was beaten.
The youth claimed during the court hearing that his family members beat him for associating with Jews and ripped the chain with the Star of David symbol off his neck, as they found this unacceptable.
The suspect's lawyer, Anat Huli, said that the father has no criminal record and is not a violent person. Judge Ehud Kaplan ruled that the offense of attacking a minor was a very serious one, and ordered the police to keep the suspect in custody for four more days.
