Two 16-year-olds have been charged with assault and arson for allegedly attacking a Palestinian man's home in Jerusalem's Old City during the Jerusalem Day nationalist Flag March. According to the indictment, the incident occurred on May 26, just hours before the annual march began. The teens, accompanied by several other youths, shouted racial slurs, including "dirty Arab" and "death to Arabs," before climbing over the gate into the man's yard.
One of the teens allegedly broke a window using a wooden stick, while the other set a towel from the homeowner's laundry on fire and threw it toward the house. When the resident tried to intervene, one of the suspects struck him with the wooden stick, causing minor injuries. The fire caused notable damage, including a shattered window, burned walls, and harm to the home's electrical wiring.
The two defendants are facing multiple charges, including arson, aggravated assault motivated by racism, willful damage to property motivated by racism, and trespassing with intent to commit a crime. The case has reignited concerns over the growing pattern of racially motivated violence during nationalist events in the capital and the vulnerability of Palestinian residents in Jerusalem's Old City.
The Flag March, which passes through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City each year to mark the capture of East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War, has frequently been marred by violence and tension. Palestinian residents and shopkeepers are often forced to close their businesses and remain indoors due to threats and harassment by march participants.
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