The victim
Photo: Hassan Shaalan
Jerusalem lynch victim 'not afraid'
Arab teen who was brutally attacked by Jewish teens released from hospital, says 'not afraid to return to Zion Square'
"I don’t remember anything from the incident, and I have no idea what everyone is talking about," the Arab teenager who was brutally assaulted by Jewish youths in Jerusalem's Zion Square last week said Thursday after being released from Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center.
"All I remember is that I went shopping for clothes for the holiday and then woke up at the hospital," said the victim, a resident of east Jerusalem.
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The teen learned the details of the attack from the media and from people who visited him at the hospital. "I am not afraid of going downtown. I will continue to visit the Zion Square area - where I was attacked. I plan to live my life as usual; I didn’t harm anyone," he said.
The teen's parents, who have six other children, said he would begin the school year as planned. "I won’t allow my children to walk around the (Zion Square) area. They are not looking to take their revenge or beat anyone up. All we want is for our son to meet his younger brothers. They haven't seen each other in a week.
The victim's father also addressed the remarks made by one of the main suspects, who said during a court hearing, "He (victim) could die for all I care, he's an Arab."
"I read all about it. Parents who claim that their children like Arabs are lying. A person who respects others does not behave in this manner. I have no doubt that the (Jewish teens) attacked my son only because he is Arab – this is how they were raised," the father said.
Earlier Thursday, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin visited the Arab teen at the hospital and told him it was clear that that the attack on him was not an isolated incident of racism towards Arabs. Rather, he said, it is a worrying phenomenon in Israeli society.
"This is a micro cosmos of a national problem that could endanger Israeli democracy," the Knesset speaker warned.
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