Arab-Israeli Man Indicted For Attempted Lynching of Jewish Motorist
An Arab-Israeli man was indicted for the attempted lynching of a Jewish man who drove past the village of Taibe.
Muhammed Haj-Yihyeh, 21, was indicted Thursday on charges of aggravated assault, vandalism, and mayhem for the Nov. 9 incident in which the Jewish driver attempted to avoid burning tires on a major highway during Arab protests of the shooting by Israel Police of an Arab assailant in Kfar Kana. The Arab teen there was shot as he was running away from a police vehicle on which he had pounded and brandished a knife.
Taibe is located in the area of the Triangle, a concentration of Arab-Israeli villages near the Green Line. It is slightly north of the central Israeli city of Kfar Saba. The motorist car outside of Taibe was surrounded by rioters who shouted “Jew! Jew!” and threw rocks at the car, breaking the window.
Haj-Yihyeh is accused of throwing a lit package of fireworks into the car, which caught fire and burned completely.
A resident of Taibe saved the man’s life, grabbing him away from the rioters and driving him to a police station.
Haj-Yihyeh reportedly has confessed to the charges. He was also seen on a video calling for an intifada.
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