Palestinian taxi driver to receive recognition as 'victim of enemy hostilities'
After being beaten by Jewish youths in a nationalistically motivated attack, Palestinian taxi driver to receive status of 'victim of enemy hostilities' by national health insurance; now eligible for more state benefits.
Ishaq abu-Jibne -a Palestinian taxi driver who was attacked by Jews in downtown Jerusalem – has been recognized by the police as “the victim of enemy hostilities.”
The incident happened in August when five Jewish youths approached the taxi driver, and yelled “this is our country – go work in Gaza.”
As abu-Jibne began trying to back away from them, the youths pulled out mace and sprayed him, threw rocks at him, then beat him.
Although the police did arrive on the scene and order the Palestinian taxi driver an ambulance, they never went to the hospital to receive a statement from him. Abu-Jibne has to go to the police station himself to file a complaint, but by that time the security camera footage had already been erased.
His case was closed due to lack of evidence.
Because his file was closed, he wasn’t able to be recognized by the national health insurance as a victim of enemy hostilities – a designation which would have made him eligible for a variety of state benefits.
After abu-Jibne’s case was published in Yediot Ahronot, the case was reopened, and the police ruled that the injuries abu-Jibne sustained were in fact the result of a nationalistic attack, and is now on the way to being recognized by the national health insurance as a “victim of enemy hostilities.”
