Yehoshua Abutbul, a 50-year-old Jewish man who was brutally beaten by an Arab in Jerusalem's Old City yesterday, spoke with Arutz Sheva about his ordeal.
"As I do every day, I was making my way to the Shuvu Banim Yeshiva near the Western Wall when I felt a blow on my head. I saw a strong man. He threw me to the ground and ripped off my shirt.
Abutbul had worn a bicycle helmet during the attack, which he credits with saving his life. "If I had not been wearing a helmet I would have died. I told the police that there were people who saw [the attack] - and that they should take testimony from them."
Abutbul is convinced that the beating had a nationalistic motive. "I have anxieties now. I can't sleep. I'm afraid and I'm constantly on edge. There is no possibility other than that this was a nationalistic event."
Attorney Yossi Nadav of the Honenu legal help organization, who assisted Abutbul in filing a police report, said: "After my client was attacked, he came to the police station to file a complaint. But at the police station the police tried, using various pretexts, to convince my client not to file a complaint. They even suggested that my client and the assailant shake hands and say good-bye."
"My client, who was surprised by the police's conduct, called me to the police station, and after my insistence on allowing my client to file a legal complaint, [the police] turned the tables on him and detained my client. Afterwards they interrogated him as if he was the suspect. Unfortunately, the Israeli police disregard such cases, where a Jew is attacked. Had it been a Jew who attacked an Arab. the police would have arresed him and requested his detention in court. We will act to bring this police misconduct to the relevant authorities."