A civil lawsuit seeking NIS 65,000 has been filed in the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court against an Arab man previously convicted of carrying out an antisemitic attack on a Chareidi Jew walking to the Kosel Hamaaravi.

According to the lawsuit, filed by attorney Chaim Bleicher and legal intern Tom Nissani of the Honenu legal aid organization, the attack took place in September 2019. The victim and a friend, both visibly Chareidi, were walking along Jerusalem Boulevard on their way to the Kosel when they were suddenly targeted without any prior interaction or provocation.

The lawsuit states that the attacker, who was walking a short distance behind them, threw small marble-sized objects at the pair three times out of hostility toward them because they were Jewish. One of the objects struck the victim in the neck and shoulder, causing pain.

The assailant was later indicted and, in March 2023, convicted as part of a plea agreement on a charge of assault motivated by racism. The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court sentenced him to five months of community service, a four-month suspended prison sentence, and ordered him to pay the victim NIS 2,000 in compensation.

The new civil lawsuit argues that the victim continues to suffer emotional harm, including humiliation, anxiety, and an ongoing fear of being attacked again. According to the filing, the incident has left him constantly on alert and struggling with fears that affect his daily life.

The lawsuit seeks NIS 40,000 for pain and suffering, along with an additional NIS 25,000 in punitive damages, arguing that the antisemitic nature of the attack warrants enhanced compensation.

Tom Nissani of Honenu said the lawsuit sends a clear message: “Anyone who attacks Jews will pay the price. Honenu will continue working to ensure that those who assault innocent civilians on the streets of Israel are held fully accountable.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)