Israeli Youth Badly Beaten at Binyamin Outpost

A Jewish teen is seeking to be recognized as the victim of a terror attack, after he was set upon by a gang of Arabs earlier this week at the Givat Assaf outpost in the Binyamin region. The youth was badly injured in his upper body, suffering from broken ribs and a puntured lung, and required stitches in his head. He is still hospitalized at Shaare Tzedek hospital in Yerushalayim.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, and the youth’s family filed a complaint with police – who refused to list it as a terror attack. The youth and his family have enlisted the assistance of the Honenu rights organization in order to achieve that recognition, the organization said. A Honenu attorney assigned to the case who consulted with police was told that a suspect was arrested after the incident, but then released.

A letter sent by the attorney to police describes the incident in detail. “My client sought police assistance, but did not obtain it,” he wrote. “A vehicle with two Arabs stopped and its occupants began throwing stones at the victim. They then advanced on him with sticks, and began beating him with those. The victim attempted to retreat, facing backwards in order to protect his face from the rocks the Arabs were throwing at him. At that point, one of the Arabs knocked the victim over the head with his stick, knocking him down. He managed to get up, and was hit again in the head.

“With his last strength, the victim managed to roll away from the Arabs onto the highway, and got up and began running” the letter read. “The Arabs stole a cellphone the victim left behind.

“The victim then started flagging down passing vehicles looking for assistance, and described to soldiers the incident, providing them with a description of the culprits.” Despite his having filed a complaint with police, they have yet to take his testimony, and the complaint has not been officially filed, the attorney said.

“This is a serious incident that could have ended in murder,” the attorney wrote. “The culprits are dangerous terrorists, and authorities must do all they can to track them down.

“Unfortunately police released the culprits, but as details of the case emerge, it is clear that they must be arrested immediately.”

In a statement, police said that an investigation into the incident has been opened. “At this time the complainant is in the hospital. He was told that police will interview him when treatment at the hospital allows. A suspect was arrested and released, but under conditions limiting his movement. The investigation will continue,” the statement said.