East Jerusalem man indicted for slapping Haredi Jews on light rail, filming it

East Jerusalem man indicted for slapping Haredi Jews on light rail, filming it

Charge sheet says 17-year-old targeted victims due to their Jewish appearance, shared clip with friends, one of whom posted to TikTok where it went viral

In the video posted on TikTok, a suspect from East Jerusalem is seen slapping two ultra-Orthodox Jews on the light rail in the city, on April 15, 2021. (video screenshot)

In the video posted on TikTok, a suspect from East Jerusalem is seen slapping two ultra-Orthodox Jews on the light rail in the city, on April 15, 2021. (video screenshot)

State prosecutors filed an indictment Tuesday against a 17-year-old Palestinian resident of East Jerusalem who was filmed violently slapping a pair of ultra-Orthodox passengers on the city’s light rail last month in a clip that went viral on social media along with several similar ones, and contributed to boiling ethnic tensions in the capital.

The suspect was charged with racially motivated assault and invasion of privacy in the indictment, filed at the Jerusalem Juvenile Court.

According to the charge sheet, the defendant sought out the two victims due to their Jewish religious appearance and decided to attack them because of it.