A 6-year-old boy who came a few days ago to spend time with his family members at the Ein Mabua spring near Jericho was pushed underwater by an Arab - according to his family, with malicious intent.
The family members reported to the police with the security videos of the place that record what happened, but despite this, the case against the suspect in the act was closed in just two days. The Honenu legal aid organization appealed to the Prosecutor's Office demanding that the case be reopened and that all the severity of the law be meted out to the attacker.
The incident happened about a week ago when the six-year-old boy came with his family to relax in the spring. At one point the boy approached the spring with his back to the pool when suddenly an Arab sitting on the couch of the pool wrapped his arms around his back and forced the boy's whole body into the water up to his neck. All this despite the fact that there was no prior interaction between the child or any of his family members and the assailant. The frightened boy fluttered, resisted, and tried to get up, but the attacker did not stop his actions.
The boy's aunt, who saw what was happening, shouted at the attacker to stop his actions, but only after many seconds did he let go. After the frightened boy ran to his parents and told them what had happened, the family members went to the security booth located there, where they watched the security videos taken of the incident.
Police officers who arrived at the scene detained the attacker and took the videos from the security cameras at the scene. Also, the child's mother filed a complaint with the Maaleh Adumim police against the attacker.
The mother of the six-year-old said: "In the video from the security cameras, you can see how the attacker grabs my son and tries to drown him. The nationalist motive here is clear. We hope that the attacker will be punished with all the severity of the law. There is no reason for Jews to suffer bullying in these places or to be afraid to walk anywhere in the Land of Israel."
Only two days after the incident, the police decided to close the case due to lack of criminal charges. Following the closing of the case, Attorney Haim Bleicher from the Honenu organization, which represents the boy's family, contacted the State Attorney's Office through the Maaleh Adumim police and asked to open the case immediately.
"This is a very serious attack, in which an adult man brutally attacks a child much younger than him, who is helpless, and tries to drown him in the water - an experience that gives a sense of real danger to life. It seems that the purpose of the attack is to instill a sense of fear and persecution on a nationalist background," Attorney Bleicher stated in his letter to the Israel Police. He also stated that following the incident the boy felt traumatized and restless, and is afraid of any meeting with members of minorities from the suspect's demographic. In light of this, Attorney Bleicher requests that the case be opened immediately, that the law be meted out to him, and that the case be investigated on a racial basis."
Bleicher said: "Islamic terrorism works in many and varied ways to cause panic, fear and a sense of persecution among Jews in our country. They do not hesitate to take measures even if it is harming tender children; the rioters deliberately harm security and the sense of security everywhere. We demand that the state authorities act hard and resolutely against these acts of terrorism without minimizing or diminishing the seriousness of the acts and their significance."