Violence in Netanya: Haredi mob attacks water meter reader, 4 Jewish teens attack Arabs
Hundreds of residents of Harei neighborhood assault Herzl Rokach, saying he was a burglar; four 17-year-old Jewish teens indicted for racially-motivated attack of Arabs at the beach.
A mob attacked a water meter reader at an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in Netanya on Monday, while four Jewish teenagers were indicted on Tuesday for attacking two Arab youth at the Netanya beach, raising concerns over the level of violence in the northern city.
Herzl Rokach, 68, was attacked on Monday by about 200 residents of the neighborhood of Kiryat Sanz, who thought him to be a burglar.
"I went to Kiryat Sanz for work," said Rokach, who has been working as a water meter reader for the water supply corporation Mey Netanya for years. "At midday, I sat in my car to eat a sandwich. As I was eating it, a number of residents arrived and inquired as to what I was doing in the neighborhood. I introduced myself and they asked for my ID. I gave it to them and then dozens - and shortly thereafter hundreds - surrounded me. They said I came to break into their homes. I tried to explain to them that I only read water meters, but they started punching and kicking me. For a half hour, they hit me. I was unable to defend myself and they eventually picked me up and hurled me over a two-meter tall fence. I landed on my back and felt excruciating pain. Then they resumed hitting me."
"They simply carried out a lynching," he added. "It does not matter to them that I wear a yarmulke on my head or that I am an older man. They also would not stop yelling, 'We are worse than Gaza.' I wanted to die already because I could not take the pain anymore. I told myself it would be better if I died."
"I felt humiliated," he continued. "They treated me like a terrorist and I am a Jew who wears a yarmulke, just like them. They also damaged my car's windshield and mirrors and punctured its tires, and they robbed me. They stole my wallet, my cell phone, and a gold necklace that my wife gave me on one of our wedding anniversaries. The necklace reminds of her because she passed away two years ago."
A passerby called the Netanya police, which arrived on the scene and rescued Rokach, and then took him to the Laniado Medical Center, where he was hospitalized in moderate condition. Police opened an investigation into the incident, but have yet to make any arrests.
Mey Netanya said in a statement: "A contracted worker who reads water meters in Netanya was violently assaulted by Haredi residents. He was wounded and later treated a local hospital. This is a very serious incident. We wish the wounded worker a speedy recovery and hope the Israel Police brings the assailants to justice."
Jewish teens attack Arab youth
On Tuesday, four Jewish teenagers, aged 17, were charged with the assault and battery of two Arab youth at the beach in Netanya in a racially-motivated attack.
According to the indictment, two weeks ago, the four Jewish teens were at the beach drinking alcohol when one of them noticed the two Arabs youth, prompting him to curse the Prophet Mohammed. The two Arabs ignored the attempted provocation and started heading away from the beach.
At this point, one of the defendants threw a large rock at them, while the other three swore at them, calling out "Death to Arabs."
The two Arabs tried to escape, but the group of attackers pursued them and kept hurling stones and empty glass bottles at them.
Later, according to the indictment, the Jews beat up the Arabs and threw a bottle of beer at one of them, hitting his head.
The two Arabs were able to escape into an elevator, but the defendants managed to drag one of them out. The defendants called out "terrorist" and hit the victim in all parts of his body, kicking his head, stepping on him and strangling him.
The defendants later encouraged other people who were at the scene to hit the victim as well.
The four Jewish teens left the victim bruised and lying on the ground and fled the scene. He tried to get up but collapsed and lost his consciousness, and was later taken to hospital for medical treatment.
Attorney Miron Rosenthal, who represents one of the defendants, claimed that "the State Attorney and the police did everything they could for the motive in this case to be racism. I have no doubt this will be refuted and that it turns out to be a spontaneous fight between young guys over a romantic-related incident."
