The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court has approved a settlement agreement requiring an Arab resident who attacked two haredi young men with pepper spray in central Jerusalem to pay them NIS 16,000 in compensation.
The payment was determined in a civil lawsuit filed by the legal aid organization Honenu following the attacker’s criminal conviction.
The incident occurred about two years ago on Nehagi HaParadot Street in Jerusalem. According to the indictment, a group of four Arab youths approached the two haredi men as they were walking peacefully through the area. One of the group members asked them, “What time is it?" in what prosecutors later described as a deceptive attempt to draw them closer.
As the two stopped to respond, the defendant allegedly pulled out pepper spray and sprayed both victims directly in the face from close range. The assault caused severe pain, redness and intense burning in their eyes.
The court previously ruled that the attack was motivated by racist hostility toward the victims because of their religion. In the criminal case, the attacker was sentenced to seven months in prison and ordered to pay the victims NIS 3,000 in compensation.
Following the sentencing, Honenu filed a civil tort lawsuit seeking NIS 160,000 in damages. The case has now concluded with a settlement agreement that significantly increases the compensation awarded to the victims.
Attorney Chaim Bleicher welcomed the decision, saying settlement agreements of this kind help ensure that compensation is actually collected from attackers. “Compensating victims is a moral act of justice. Beyond that, it creates economic deterrence on the ground. Lawbreakers understand that hatred carries a heavy price."