'I stared death in the eyes'
Photo: Levy Melayev
Tel Aviv: 2 men come to woman's aid, attacked by foreigners
When noticing girl being followed by group of foreign nationals, young men ask if she is ok, prompting group to attack them with bricks, chains
Merav, a young woman from Tel Aviv, was attacked by two foreign nationals. When two young men who were passing by in their car stopped to assist her, they were attacked by foreign migrants who violently hit them with bricks and stones.
"I saw them laughing and thought nothing of it, but when they got nearer and began touching my hand I let out a scream and collapsed from fear," she told Ynet. When she tried to escape, two young men came to her assistance and then the clash began.
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According to an eyewitness, the two young men, Levy Melayev and Itamar Cohen, were attacked by four or five me "who took bricks and bashed them on their heads."
Cohen's head (Photo: Levy Melayev)
Police are currently searching for the group of foreign nationals suspected of attacking the two young men, residents of the south Tel Aviv Kiryat Shalom neighborhood, where the attack took place.
"I stared death in the eyes," Melayev told Ynet. According to the complaint lodged by him and Cohen, five to six foreign workers attacked them; beating them with chains and bricks, scaring their heads and leading to their hospitalization.
Merav recalls: "Itamar and Levy asked me 'What's up? Everything okay'? But one of the foreigners leaned on Itamar's window and told him 'I'll gouge your eyes out.' I was at a dark corner and the youngsters yelled to them 'leave her alone," and then they began brutally attacking them.
Merav (Photo: Motti Kimchi)
"There were four or five of them; they took bricks and bashed their heads. I began screaming for someone to call the police," she said.
"They cursed and kicked the car," she further recalled, "One of the youngsters exited the car to help me and then they jumped on him and beat him with wooden boards. I yelled 'Police! Police!' but I couldn't dial because my hands were shaking. They didn't give up, they jumped on the car and threw bricks. When the neighbors woke up, they (the foreigners) ran into a courtyard and escaped."
Melayev also recalled the event: "Suddenly, I saw a girl from the neighborhood running in our direction. She seemed frightened and told us the a group of people were following her and that she was scared."
According to Melayev, when they asked the foreigners what they wanted from the girl, "one of them pulled out a chain and hit our hands. Me and my friend tried to defend ourselves, but then a group of four or five other men joined the fight.
"They picked up bricks and threw stones at the car. We really felt they were going to kill us."
Luckily for Melayev and his friend, a neighbor noticed the scuffle and came to their help. Other neighbors also arrived at the scene and called the police. At that point, the assailants fled the scene.
The two youngsters were then taken to the hospital where they received medical attention. They were later released. Police are currently conducting an investigation into the incident.
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