Rioters burn tires during clashes with IDF ne
Rioters burn tires during clashes with IDF neFlash 90

The Merkaz (Center) District Attorney's Office filed indictments to the Lod District Court Wednesday against three residents of Qalansawe, located near Netanyah, finding them guilty of attacking Jews in "revenge" for the murder of 16-year-old Arab teen Mohammed Abu Khdeir. 

Taar Makhlouf, 21, Fawzi Abu Kishk, 20, and Suleiman Salbaya, 23 are facing charges of aggravated assault against the backdrop of racism or hostility toward the public and malicious damage to property in relation to racism or hostility to the public.

In addition, Salbaya is accused of arson, and Makhlouf and Abu Kishk are accused of causing serious injury and aggravated assault.

According to the indictment, on July 4th, riots broke out in Qalansawe over Abu Khdeir's murder; the main suspect in the case was known to have psychological problems.

In the riots, hundreds of masked Arabs gathered in the town square and began holding violent demonstrations; several rioters also placed burning tires on adjacent Route 57.

That night, a Jewish driver was forced to stop on Highway 57 as a result of the obstruction; Makhlouf saw the driver and began interrogating him to see if he was Jewish. 

Makhlouf then began attacking the Jew, after the putting the car in neutral and stealing the keys. He called other Arabs to the scene, shouting "Get him, he's a Jew!"

Abu Kishk and Salbaya, as well as others, began throwing rocks at the vehicle and the driver and began hitting the vehicle. Eventually they extricated the driver from the vehicle and beat him; Salbaya entered the vehicle and drove over the burning tires until the car was set ablaze. 

The three later attacked a motorcycle at the same intersection, throwing rocks and injuring the driver. The driver eventually crashed into a pole, lost consciousness, and was submitted to hospital for treatment. 

Ambushes near intersections in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria became common after Khdeir's murder. In a similar incident, a driver and his wife were attacked near Ramat Rahel in the second week of July, but managed to escape with their lives.