A 25-year-old Israeli rabbinical assistant was assaulted by a group of Arab teenagers screaming “Allah Akbar” in Brooklyn on Tuesday evening.
Uria Ohana, an Israeli from Kfar Chabad, now working in Wellesley, Massachusetts, was on his way to a lecture in Manhattan, Tuesday evening. Ohana entered a subway station in affluent Park Slope, the densely populated area of Brooklyn, known as one of America’s 10 best neighborhoods.
Ohana may now have a different opinion of the area. As he entered the subway, at the junction of 4th Avenue and 9th Street, he noticed a group of Arab teenagers on a bench, but he went directly up the stairs to the train. One of the boys, reported to be an 18-year-old, grabbed Ohana’s kippa, pulling it off his head.
Ohana chased after him, down the stairs. The boy ran into the street, and into the path of a car, which hit him and broke his leg. The other boys were then screaming at Ohana, blaming him for what happened to their friend. Two of them were punching and kicking Ohana and apparently shouting “Allah Akhbar”
The injured youth was arrested at the Lutheran Medical Center, where he was taken for treatment. Police are seeking the two boys who were kicking and punching Ohana. Police said the case may be investifated as a hate crime. Ohana said he was in no doubt that it was racially motivated, once the teenagers began screaming at him.
The initial report of this incident came from Debbie Schlussel on her blog.
Strangely, local media have not reported this story. A local Rabbi told NewsBlaze that the attack really happened and NewsBlaze will attempt to interview Uria Ohana later today.
Editor’s notes:
Kfar Chabad is 50 minutes North West of Jerusalen and 20 minutes South East of Tel Aviv. It is the headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidic movement and was established in 1949, mostly by immigrants from the Soviet Union.
After speaking with a friend of the Ohana this Morning, NewsBlaze can report that he was not badly indured, even though the teenagers were hitting and kicking him. There were six teens at the subway, but only three were involved in the attack. A crowd of people quickly gathered and although they did not directly help Ohana, the growing crowd must have scared the boys and instead of helping their injured friend, they ran away, jumped into a car and fled the scene.
The original intent may have only been to have some fun, but it quickly turned into something much worse.
