Police investigators and detectives arrested two young residents of East Jerusalem Monday morning after allegedly filming and distributing videos on social media containing humiliating content toward visible Jewish passers-by.
In recent weeks, videos of Arabs forcing Jews in ultra-Orthodox traditional attire to kiss their feet and hands and bow to them have been circulating on TikTok. The disturbing videos were filmed in the Old City of Jerusalem during the hours of Jewish prayer at the Western Wall when many use the Muslim Quarter as a shortcut. The police launched an investigation after Israeli social media personality, Yedidya Epstein, uploaded the documented antisemitism to his Telegram and Twitter accounts.
“Well, this is one of the most shocking things I've come across.#Arabs forcibly force a #Jew to bow like a #Muslim and film him for #TikTok @AmirOhana @netanyahu pic.twitter.com/ZmPe16iixn
— Dana Levi דנה🇮🇱🇺🇸🇬🇧 (@Danale) May 10, 2021
Late Monday night, the police received another report about a video that was uploaded in which a citizen was seen being humiliated by a suspect while passing by on the street. In a swift operation authorized by the Jerusalem District Attorney's Office early Tuesday morning, the suspect in the act, a resident of the A-Tor neighborhood in East Jerusalem in his 20s, was arrested. The suspect and his attorney will be brought to a local court for a hearing regarding the extension of his detention.
from @JBreakingNews - Arabs film themselves on @tiktok_us ambushing and attacking Orthodox Jew in Jerusalem pic.twitter.com/LJKNMTA2ns
— Andrea Karshan | #JusticeforMalkiRoth (@karshanandrea) November 14, 2022
In another case, following a video in which a citizen was watched being humiliated by a suspect, a young resident of the Ras al-Amud neighborhood, was arrested for questioning. This suspect is expected to be brought to court Wednesday in order to discuss the extension of his detention.
🇮🇱✡️ — DON’T WATCH: Sickening video from the Old City of Jerusalem shows young Arabs humiliating a Orthodox Jew by ordering him to kiss their feet and hands. pic.twitter.com/dk8eZmeklq
— Belaaz News (@TheBelaaz) December 2, 2022
This horrific act, which specifically targets yarmulke-wearing Jews, is a widespread phenomenon that is gaining momentum in recent weeks. Nevertheless, harassment of Jews in the predominantly Arab parts of Jerusalem has existed for decades and is well documented. The new part here is the usage of social media to boast of it and disseminate videos showing it.
The TikTok intifada - Arabs attacking religious Jews to make "funny" videos https://t.co/yHjvq1swxZ
— Elder of Ziyon 🇮🇱 (@elderofziyon) April 20, 2021
The police stated that "The Jerusalem District Police is constantly working online to locate and deal with suspects who commit acts of violence, abuse, and humiliation. The police will continue to fight crimes of abuse, violence, and humiliation and bring those involved to justice. Documenting wrongful acts of this kind and spreading them on social media is even more serious, and the perpetrators are aware of that."
Outrageous: Arab teenagers attack a Jew in Jerusalem.
— Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) April 20, 2021
There has been a phenomenon of Arab teens attacking Jews in Israel, filming it and then posting it on TikTok to get praise for that.
This vile hate must be stopped. It all starts with education. pic.twitter.com/TDMf0kHW43
The police statement continued by saying: “Documenting the act will only help the police in gathering evidence, locating those involved, quickly arresting them, and bringing them to justice. We will continue to fight with determination and deal with crimes committed in various social networks along with anywhere else."
