A shocking video of a Jewish mob beating to death a person, who is presumed to be an Arab, in Tel Aviv on Wednesday night, was broadcast live on Israeli TV, as the country erupted in violence following the Israel-Palestine conflict that escalated over the week. The incident in the coastal city of Bat Yam, on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, was caught by a camera operator for Israeli Channel 11.
The cameraman and the news reporter for the channel didn't make any effort to stop the mob and instead continued to shoot anticipating that they could also be lynched. The chilling footage has been condemned by the international community. Tensions between Israel and Palestine have intensified since Monday, which was followed by deadly rocket fire between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza.
Spine Chilling
The harrowing footage shows a Jewish Israeli mob surrounding a man and beating him. The man can be seen being dragged out of his car and then ruthlessly beaten and kicked continuously. He is then seen lying on the ground unconscious wearing a motorcycle helmet while the kicking continued before the camera pans away.
The attack was broadcast live by public broadcaster Kan, but no one tried to help the man fearing meeting with the same fate. Police did not appear to be on the scene. Channel 11 reported that the man had to be hospitalized and is in critical condition. "We're watching a lynching in real time," reporter Daniel Elazar says off-camera. "There are no police here."
"The victim of the lynching is seriously injured but stable," Tel Aviv's Ichilov hospital said in a statement, without revealing his identity. According to local media reports, even police tried to avoid reached the scene initially. Police and emergency services arrived only after 15 minutes later, while the victim lay unconscious on his back in the middle of the street.
Horrifying Scenes in Israel
The attack happened amid a night of unrest across Israel as Hamas fired a barrage of rockets at Israel. The attack is what appears to be the deadliest between the two foes since the onset of the second intifada, a violent Palestinian uprising, more than 20 years ago.
As Hamas fired rockets on multiple Israeli cities, Jewish protesters in Bat Yam and in the northern cities of Tiberias and Acre took to the streets lynching people and chanting "Death to Arabs" and vandalizing Arab-owned businesses. The footage of the mob attacks at multiple locations are since been widely circulated on social media.
A Jewish man in Acre was lynched and an Arab in the central Israeli city of Lod was shot, according to The Times of Israel. Also businesses are being set on fire. On Tuesday night, Arab protesters in several cities took to the streets, with some starting fires. In Lod, protesters burnt synagogues, shops and cars, following which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of emergency.
Far-right lawmaker Betzalel Smotrich, head of the "Religious Zionism" party, said he was "ashamed" of the "atrocious cruelty" of the attack. "Jewish brothers, stop! We cannot under any circumstances allow ourselves to take part in violent acts," he said.
In recent weeks, crowds of far-right Jews have marched on Jerusalem's Old City at least twice, where they clashed with Palestinian crowds. The first Jewish extremist march came after a string of Palestinian attacks on visibly Orthodox Jews.
