Israel HaYom
By Nitzi Yakov
‘We don’t like blacks,’ say suspects in beating of Ethiopians
Two Petach Tikva men suspected of brutal racist attack on two immigrants • “Why are Ethiopians allowed to roam free?” suspect asks police • One victim suffers skull fractures • “They beat us and we asked them why they were doing it. They said, ‘Because.’”
Two men from Petach Tikva in central Israel brutally attacked two Ethiopian immigrants over the weekend solely out of racism, according to police.
The victims, aged 35 and 74, were on their way home from a family event in Petach Tikva when they were attacked, and had done nothing to provoke the attack, police investigators believe. The younger victim suffered skull fractures and was taken to Beilinson Hospital in a medically induced coma.
Vladislav Sorokov and Alexander Sandovski, both 30, are currently in custody over the attack after their remand was extended on Monday. The two told police investigators that “we don’t like blacks. Who brought the Ethiopians to Petach Tikva and why are they allowed to roam free?”
Around 8 p.m. on Saturday, the Petach Tikva police department dispatched two officers after receiving a call for help.
The investigation suggests that the two suspects pounced on the victims with various weapons and beat them repeatedly until they fell to the ground.
“They beat us and we asked them why they were doing it. They said, ‘Because.’ We lay there bleeding and no one came to help us,” one victim told police.
A search of the suspects’ homes recovered fake guns that were apparently used in the attack. During the arrest, one of the suspects allegedly spat at an Ethiopian police officer.
The CEO of the Tebeka Advocacy for Equality and Justice for Ethiopian Israelis organization said that “all law enforcement bodies are required to bring the attackers to justice and relay a clear message.”
“We as a society must not stand idly by when a man is attacked just because of the color of his skin. That is a red line,” she said.