One of the attacked soldiers

Judge: No need to label near-lynching of soldiers in Haifa

Remand of Arab suspects in brutal beating of two off-duty soldiers extended; judge says they acted 'as one unit'

Ahiya Raved|Published: 03.01.12 , 20:43

Haifa Magistrates' Court Judge Zayid Falah on Thursday cautioned against trying to label the vicious beating of two off-duty IDF soldiers by an Arab gang in the city, this just four days after he said the attack was reminiscent of the 2000 lynching of two soldiers in Ramallah.

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During a hearing in which the court extended the suspects' remand, Judge Falah said the attack, regardless of whether it was criminally or nationalistically-motivated, targeted "two innocent people."

"Trying to categorize the attack would be wrong," he said.

The remand of the five adult suspects was extended until Monday, while the five minors will be kept in custody at least until Sunday.

Another minor who is suspected of being involved in the beating has been released.

The police's representative at the hearing said there were discrepancies between the suspects' accounts.

Judge Falah said the suspects "acted as one unit with multiple arms, like an octopus," and once again compared the attack to the lynch in Ramallah and to the death of Arik Karp in August 2009. Karp was brutally beaten to death by three Jaljulia residents on the Tel Baruch boardwalk in Tel Aviv.

The judge also suggested honoring the security guards at the Rambam Medical Center who intervened and stopped the beating.

One of the soldiers was released from the hospital on Tuesday, while the second soldier left the hospital on Thursday.

The judge explained his decision to extend the suspects' remand, saying their release from custody may pose a threat to public safety.