JERUSALEM (JTA) — A cousin of the Palestinian teen who was burned to death by Jewish extremists in a revenge murder was attacked by two people that the victim described as Jewish.
Zoheir Abu Khdeir, 63, a first cousin of the father of murdered teen Mohammed Abu Khdeir, was attacked Thursday night in the Egged public bus parking lot in Jerusalem where he works, Haaretz reported. He was hospitalized overnight with a broken nose, a facial cut that required 12 stitches, and bruises to his eyes and head.
The family told Haaretz that police on an emergency hotline said the victim, a resident of eastern Jerusalem, would have to come to a police station and file a report in person, which he is unable to do.
Police told Haaretz they had no record of such a call and would send an officer to take the victim’s statement once they receive a complaint.
Mohammed Abu Khdeir was beaten unconscious before he was burned to death in the Jerusalem Forest on July 2, 2014, to avenge the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens the previous month, one of the men convicted of carrying out the murder told police.
“We don’t want it to be like it was with Mohammed, that the police did nothing,” Majed Abu Khdeir, the victim’s brother, told Haaretz. “What would happen if the opposite had happened, if a Jew had been beaten up? An arrest within minutes.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
