Dor Twito, a 24-year-old man from Sderot, was severely wounded when he was violently assaulted in Limassol, Cyprus, apparently out of nationalist motives.
Twito, who stopped in Cyprus with a friend on their way back from a long trip to Australia, was staying at the popular City of Dreams hotel.
On Saturday evening, two unidentified individuals approached them after hearing them speak Hebrew. One assailant stabbed Twito in the eye with a sharp object, and the two continued to strike him, even after he fell to the ground. Twito's friend attempted to assist him, but was also attacked.
According to the victim, the security guards at the scene did not get involved, and medical assistance was delayed. At the local hospital, he was told that they were unable to treat him, and he was flown to Israel, where he underwent surgery at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. "The eye was in critical condition," his father reported. After an additional complex procedure, the doctors managed to save his retina.
Twito's family contacted the embassy and local authorities, but according to them, no suspects have been arrested. His father stressed, "We won't give up until justice is served. My son was attacked only because he spoke Hebrew.