Israeli Jews charged of terror attacks against Arabs

Six Israeli Jews from the southern city of Be'er Sheva, including two soldiers, were charged Sunday with carrying out a series of "acts of terror" against Arabs in the city.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said in a statement that the suspects are residents of Be'er Sheva, a mixed Jewish-Arab city, and include two conscripted soldiers and a minor.

They were indicted by the Southern District Attorney's Office in the Southern District Court for perpetrating "acts of terror," including five incidents of stabbing or beating attacks and several cases of vandalizing Arabs' cars.

"In these events, dangerous assault devices were used, including knives, clubs, iron rods, and other blunt objects," Samri said.

Before attacking, the suspects used to make sure their victims are Arabs, Samri said.

According to Samri, the investigation revealed that the attacks were motivated by a racist-nationalist motive, "to prevent the assimilation of Jewish women with Arabs from Be'er Sheva."

Avihai Hajabi, an attorney from Honenu, a legal group that represents far-right activists, said that the suspects' rights were violated by the security authorities that had prevented him from meeting one of the suspects.

Israel's Arab minority makes up about a fifth of the Israeli population. Arab citizens of Israel are Palestinians who stayed during Israel's 1948 Independence War.

The indictments were served amidst heightened tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. A wave of violence has claimed the lives of at least 241 Palestinians, 41 Israelis, two U.S. nationals, a British tourist, and two African asylum seekers since September 2015. Endit