Report: Armenian Christian kid maced in Jerusalem while riding bike with headphones during Yom Kippur
A nine-year-old Armenian Christian boy was pepper-sprayed by a Jewish extremist in Jerusalem for riding his bike with headphones on during Yom Kippur. Police initially closed the case despite security camera footage, but have since reopened the investigation. The boy's mother said he now fears outwardly Jewish-looking individuals.
A nine-year-old Armenian Christian boy was pepper-sprayed by a Jewish extremist in Jerusalem for riding his bike with headphones on during Yom Kippur earlier this week. Channel 13 news aired footage of the boy receiving treatment from paramedics after the assault. The network reported it was the second time the boy was attacked; the first time he was with his father who protected him, but this time he was alone. Despite being recorded on security cameras, police initially closed the case without making any arrests. The outlet said the investigation would be reopened and the security footage collected as evidence. The boy's mother told Channel 13 that her son has had difficulty sleeping since the attack and has become fearful of outwardly Jewish-looking individuals. Speaking with Haaretz, she said the assailant flagged down her son as he was riding his bike outside the Old City and assaulted him after realizing he did not speak Hebrew. The assault unfolded against the backdrop of an uptick in attacks and harassment of Christians in Israel by Jewish extremists, including spitting on people and churches. Some harassment has occurred in the Armenian Quarter, where police recently arrested suspects for spitting and throwing stones at the Armenian Patriarchate compound.