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Fatal beating of Eritrean migrant prompts soul-searching in Israel amid wave of violence – US News

By JOSEF FEDERMAN, Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — The death of an Eritrean migrant who was shot and beaten by a mob that mistakenly believed he was a Palestinian attacker set off a round of soul-searching

By JOSEF FEDERMAN, Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — The death of an Eritrean migrant who was shot and beaten by a mob that mistakenly believed he was a Palestinian attacker set off a round of soul-searching Monday amid the jittery atmosphere sweeping Israel in a wave of unrest.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the vigilantism. Some critics accused Israel’s leaders of fostering the charged climate, while others called for the swift prosecution of the crazed mob.

“It is a disgrace to Israeli society, and those that carried out this lynching need to be found and brought to justice,” said Yaakov Amidror, Netanyahu’s former national security adviser.

“Even if it was the terrorist himself, by the way, after he was shot, after he was neutralized and lying on the floor, you need to be an animal to torment him,” he told Israel Radio.

Nine Israelis have been killed in the past month in the attacks, mostly stabbings, on city streets. At least 41 Palestinians have been killed — including 20 identified by Israeli authorities as attackers; the rest were slain in clashes with Israeli forces.

Amid the seemingly random attacks, Israelis have stocked up on mace and pepper spray, and some public officials are openly carrying personal weapons and encouraging the public to do the same. Security has been increased, and especially in Jerusalem.

The violence has led to fear and sometimes outright panic.

Following an attack at Jerusalem’s bus station last week, a swarm of security forces and armed civilians ran along a central road in search of a second assailant following a false alarm. Elsewhere, an Israeli man stabbed a fellow Jew after mistaking his dark-skinned victim for an Arab. Palestinians in Jerusalem say they are afraid of being shot if perceived to be a threat.

But Sunday night’s mob scene at the bus station in the southern city of Beersheba took things to a new level.

The violence began when an Arab with a knife and gun killed a soldier, stole his weapon and opened fire, wounding nine people before being killed by police.

In the mayhem, Habtom Zerhom, an Eritrean migrant in his late 20s, ran into the station to seek cover, police said. A security guard, mistaking Zerhom for an attacker, shot him.

As the young man lay on the floor, a mob cursed him, kicked him and hit him with objects. Security camera video showed Zerhom in a pool of blood as he was rammed with a bench and kicked in the head by passers-by, while an Israeli officer and a few bystanders tried to protect him. Zerhom later died at a hospital.

“It doesn’t matter if it was a terrorist or not. It was a man lying on the ground that couldn’t move. I couldn’t sleep at night from seeing him, his blood,” Meir Saka, a passer-by who tried to protect the Eritrean, tearfully told Channel 10 TV.

An Israeli identified only by the first name Dudu told Israeli Army Radio that he regretted participating in the attack.

“If I would have known he wasn’t a terrorist, believe me, I would have protected him like I protect myself,” he said. “I didn’t sleep well at night. I feel disgusted.”

Meeting lawmakers from his Likud Party, Netanyahu condemned the vigilante violence and sent his condolences to Zerhom’s family.

“We are a law-abiding country,” he said. “No one should take the law into their own hands.”

Police said they were reviewing the security video to identify the mob. As of late Monday, no arrests had been announced.

Critics said the shooting was the result of the charged atmosphere. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, for instance, has openly called on all licensed gun owners, like himself, to carry their weapons to help back up overstretched security forces.

“The death of an asylum seeker at the hands of security guards and an angry mob is a tragic but foreseeable outgrowth of a climate in which some Israeli politicians encourage citizens to take the law into their own hands,” said Sari Bashi, director for Israel and the Palestinian areas of Human Rights Watch.

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60 COMMENTS
  • yonas October 20, 2015

    R.I.P,CONDOLENCE TO HIS FAMILY.DEATH TO HGDF.WE FEEL SO SO SORRY FOR THOSE ERITREANS SUFFERING AROUND THE WORLD & IN ERITREA UNDER THE SICK DICTATOR.DICTATOR MADE ERITREANS HOMELESS AND REDUCED THE COUNTRY TO NOTHING.

    • AHMED SALEH October 20, 2015

      Absolutely , the makers of Eritreans suffering are government
      officials who are in charge to our sociopolitical affairs .
      Oppression lead to desperation that drive people take risky
      decisions to escape out of it . And since HGDF regime rule
      the country , Eritreans future keep pushed to the cliff for
      sudden fall into darkness . It is unfortunate a wicked man
      deceived the nation to believe words of his sweet talk while
      deadly venom hidden behind started to sting for a kill .

  • meshesh October 20, 2015

    Unfortunately, with all these young men and women leaving mother Eritrea in their large numbers for better life and also to support their poor families, our beloved Asmara, a city that has sadly become a symbol of depression, darkness and decay. And the sad part of it is there is no young force to repair the damages in poor Asmara under brutal military rule.

  • Gabir October 20, 2015

    I wish the Naziz had finished off all the Jews. Had they done this we would have lived in a better world now.

  • Ermias October 20, 2015

    May the martyrs not hear and see. They would speak up against the dictator Isaias, who would then arrest even the martyrs. This criminal bastard with the undeserving name of a prophet must be brought to justice.

  • hailu October 20, 2015

    My heart is broken.

    What an era we are in?

    1. I can not see why the guard make that fatal mistake, he saw that migrant with no weapon no knife why did he shoot him?
    2. The by standards , what a country full of hatred not being able to stop some mad Israel’s kicking a fallen body.
    Israel’s missed main point, there will be a huge price to pay for what happened.

    As to Eritreans, we need to do whatever we can to bring those criminals to face the law.

  • Natnael October 20, 2015

    Hitler must have reasons to handle the jews so cruel !

    RIP my dear brother

  • AHMED SALEH October 20, 2015

    Gura
    You have problematic issues against the majority . Evil doesn’t
    represent certain people regardless your defense to particular
    group . We can’t argue on their similar behavior obsessed with
    criminal mind mentality eager to kill and inflict pain including
    inside our country
    This poor guy was crawling on the ground as people flee and
    some security guards surrounded him then one of them shot
    the victim . And on lookers joined to beat the helpless man
    just because of his skin color .
    Even the good Israeli people condemned vigilant violence but
    you seem out of your mind on purpose to speak dishonestly.
    And please stop your usual fake advocacy for Habesha people
    because hypocrite person has nothing love to give . Remember
    the origin of the victim is from Habesha that you prefer to
    Pl

  • Girma October 20, 2015

    Israel…Jewish people are cruel ,savage just like their brothers ,the muslims, arabs…
    This young man was ALREADY shot…not harming any one….you have to be an animal to be that cruel beating a dieing man …
    How could this makes you happy, even if he was the terrorists guy.

    I m proud being a Christian who has humanity in his heart…

    ISIL, Israel…same thing

  • Ahmed omer October 20, 2015

    R.I.P and condolence to his family .
    Unfortunately this is not the first Eritrea victim killed with cold blood by Esreal all Eritreans who do not know that Esreal begin killing Eritreans in sixties from the century beside and still continuing with wedding Khommarit Asiyas .
    Esreal’s natural is racial and occupied country .Israel has been forgotten that the Jew was racial victims .My last word is wake up Eritreans.

    • Hagos October 20, 2015

      … blaming Israel is an Arab pass-time sport. When will grow up and talk about Eritreans in Arab slavery and save the ones under the Jehadi Islamic State and in Arab jails?

  • Zaki October 20, 2015

    How can normal humans inflict on others tragedies as this sicking on an innocent human being?
    It’s time that evil humans were brought to justice urgently but that is if there is justice at all in Israel!

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