Attack by Israeli youths against four Palestinian teenagers on the 16–17 August 2012 at Zion Square in Jerusalem
A racially motivated attack on Palestinian teenagers in Jerusalem sparked national debate in Israel over anti-Arab violence and racism.
Key Facts
- Date of attack
- Night of 16–17 August 2012
- Location
- Zion Square, Jerusalem
- Number of attackers
- 10–15 Israeli teenagers
- Youngest arrested suspect
- 13 years old
- Primary victim
- Jamal Julani, 17-year-old Palestinian
- Victim hospitalization
- Released from hospital one week after attack
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
A group of 10–15 Israeli youths pursued four Palestinian teenagers near Zion Square in Jerusalem. The attackers, motivated by ethnic hatred, targeted the Palestinians in what authorities described as racially driven violence. The incident occurred on the same night as a separate firebombing attack on a Palestinian taxi near the settlement of Bat Ayin.
On the night of 16–17 August 2012, Israeli youths chased and violently beat four Palestinian teenagers at Zion Square in Jerusalem. Seventeen-year-old Jamal Julani was beaten unconscious, suffering a critical condition that required CPR from Magen David Adom responders. Julani, who had a pre-existing heart condition, was revived and survived. Police and the sentencing judge characterized the assault as a 'lynch' or 'attempted lynching.'
Israeli police arrested several suspects on 19 August 2012, including a 13-year-old. Julani was released from hospital a week after the attack but continued receiving neurological and psychological care into July 2013. The incident prompted widespread condemnation in Israel and internationally, triggering a national debate over anti-Arab racism. Police commissioner Yohanan Danino publicly denounced the attack as 'the most severe and contemptible act imaginable in a democratic law-abiding country.'