20 aug 2020
Lawmakers, including PM, and women's rights groups express their shock at the 'horrid' sexual assault, which allegedly saw dozens of men line up and take their turn with a 16-year-old girl at a hotel room in Israel's resort city; 2 suspects arrested so far
Israeli lawmakers and activists expressed their outrage on Thursday after a 16-year-old girl said she had been raped by over 30 men at a hotel room in Israel's southernmost city of Eilat last week.
The teenager filed a police complaint on Friday, accusing dozens on men of sexually assaulting her in the hotel room two days prior.
According to a preliminary investigation, the minor traveled with a friend to the resort city where she met several of her friend's acquaintances. They apparently began drinking alcohol and at one point the teen went up to one of the rooms to use the rest room. In that room, according to her, she was raped by dozens of men, each waiting to take their turn.
So far, police arrested two suspects. One of whom is a 27-year-old man from northern Israel, who appeared to have exchanged text messages with the alleged victim. In one of the messages, the suspect says he has video recordings of the alleged rape.
Due to the high number of possible suspects, police have established a special investigative team.
The outrage over the alleged assault began pouring late on Wednesday, when the case was first made public.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident a "crime against humanity."
"My wife and I read this morning about the suspected gang rape in Eilat. It is horrid, there are no other words to describe it. It is not just a crime against this girl, but a crime against humanity, deserving of every condemnation," Netanyahu said.
"30 vicious animalistic attackers against one 16-year-old girl and no one has been arrested over this travesty," twitted Welfare Minister Itzik Shmuli before police made the initial arrests.
"The accusations are gut-wrenching. It is our duty as a society and a state to viciously fight the culture which allows for such horrid incidents to occur, and support the victims as much as possible."
The Israel Women's Network said in a statement: "30 men wait in line to rape a 16-year-old girl, and the world still stands and the headlines still deal with the same issues. The life of a young woman was shattered into pieces. Out heart is with her."
Joint List MK and former chair of the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality Aida Touma-Suleiman described the alleged assault as "horrid".
"Another gang rape by 30 violent men, an incomprehensible evil. The thought that a 16-year-old girl had to deal with that situation is mortifying.
"She deserves a support system, which will back her claims with the required sensitivity and quickly collect forensic evidence. We cannot abandon victims in the face of the bureaucratic hell of the police and the justice system."
Israelis protest mass rape of teen as suspect has remand extended
Rallies held in dozens of locations, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv after 16-year-old girl says she was raped by over 30 men in Eilat hotel; two 27-year-old suspects detained so far as police set up special unit to deal with large number of alleged rapists
Israelis across the country took to the streets on Thursday night to express their revulsion at the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl by more than 30 men in an Eilat hotel last week.
Protests took place in 33 locations, including the major cities of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and Eilat, the Red Sea resort city where the alleged rapes took place.
Earlier Thursday, Ashkelon Magistrate's Court granted a five-day remand extension for of one of the suspects in the case.
The 27-year-old suspect is one of just two men arrested so far in the alleged rape. The teenager filed a police complaint on Friday, stating that she had been attacked by more than 30 men in her room in at the Red Sea Hotel two days prior. The hotel denies any involvement in the alleged attack.
According to the police investigation, the 27-year-old is a resident of northern Israel and has appeared to have exchanged text messages with the alleged victim. In one of the messages, the suspect says he has video recordings of the rape.
Lior Ronen, who represents the suspect on behalf of the Public Defender's Office, said: "The case is being conducted behind closed doors and is under gag order. Therefore, all we can say is that the man denies any connection to the affair and we are waiting for the police to review his version of events soon."
The other suspect, also aged 27, has been charged with rape, conspiracy to commit a crime and failure to prevent a crime.
"My client's version of events is that some of the time he was in the room and some of the time he was not," his attorney Ofra Siboni told the jcourt.
"He could not prevent the 30 or so men from having sex with the girl. He was afraid of them."
The hotel where the rape allegedly took place was the subject of widespread criticism for its handling of the situation, and for continuing to advertise Rosh Hashanah deals concurrently with the police investigation.
"Shame on you," wrote one user on the hotel's Facebook page. "For not posting a post condemning the shocking incident that took place at your establishment, for not apologizing for failing to defend one helpless girl from 30 predators. Shame on you."
"Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame on your sexist commercial and shame that you are not currently on every possible channel... trying to justify and explain how such a thing could have happened at your establishment without anyone knowing or trying to stop it," wrote another user.
In response to the public outcry on Facebook, the hotel manager denied it was the site of the alleged rape.
The incident also shook lawmakers, public figures and women's rights groups, who all expressed their shock at the alleged rape.
Eilat Mayor Meir Yitzhak Halevi also posted condemnation of the alleged attack: "What we see here is animalistic behavior of a bunch of immoral men... We hope they will be dealt with to the full extent of the law."
Sofia Gordeev, the director of the Rape Crisis Center in Eilat, said: "We condemn the gang rape of the 16-year-old girl and any case of sexual violence in Eilat and anywhere else in the country. We work on a number of urban programs... meant to make residents the gatekeepers in case they see someone in distress. In addition, at the aid center, we accompany those men and women who were hurt by providing them with assistance. "
According to a preliminary investigation, the minor traveled with a friend to the resort city where she met several of her friend's acquaintances. They apparently began drinking alcohol and at one point the teen went up to one of the rooms to use the rest room. In that room, according to her, she was raped by dozens of men, each waiting to take their turn.
Media outlets reported that security camera footage from the hotel showed men lining up in the hallway waiting to take their turn raping the girl.
Due to the high number of possible suspects, police have set up a special investigative team.
The outrage over the alleged assault began pouring in late Wednesday, when the case was first made public.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident a "crime against humanity."
"My wife and I read this morning about the suspected gang rape in Eilat. It is horrid, there are no other words to describe it. It is not just a crime against this girl, but a crime against humanity, deserving of every condemnation," Netanyahu said.
The Israel Women's Network said in a statement: "Thirty men wait in line to rape a 16-year-old girl, and the world still stands and the headlines still deal with the same issues. The life of a young woman was shattered into smithereens. Our hearts go out to her."
Joint List MK and former chair of the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality Aida Touma-Suleiman described the alleged assault as "evil."
"Another gang rape by 30 violent men, an incomprehensible evil. The thought that a 16-year-old girl had to deal with that situation is mortifying," she said.
"She deserves a support system that will back her claims with the required sensitivity and quickly collect forensic evidence. We cannot abandon victims in the face of the bureaucratic hell of the police and the justice system."
Israeli lawmakers and activists expressed their outrage on Thursday after a 16-year-old girl said she had been raped by over 30 men at a hotel room in Israel's southernmost city of Eilat last week.
The teenager filed a police complaint on Friday, accusing dozens on men of sexually assaulting her in the hotel room two days prior.
According to a preliminary investigation, the minor traveled with a friend to the resort city where she met several of her friend's acquaintances. They apparently began drinking alcohol and at one point the teen went up to one of the rooms to use the rest room. In that room, according to her, she was raped by dozens of men, each waiting to take their turn.
So far, police arrested two suspects. One of whom is a 27-year-old man from northern Israel, who appeared to have exchanged text messages with the alleged victim. In one of the messages, the suspect says he has video recordings of the alleged rape.
Due to the high number of possible suspects, police have established a special investigative team.
The outrage over the alleged assault began pouring late on Wednesday, when the case was first made public.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident a "crime against humanity."
"My wife and I read this morning about the suspected gang rape in Eilat. It is horrid, there are no other words to describe it. It is not just a crime against this girl, but a crime against humanity, deserving of every condemnation," Netanyahu said.
"30 vicious animalistic attackers against one 16-year-old girl and no one has been arrested over this travesty," twitted Welfare Minister Itzik Shmuli before police made the initial arrests.
"The accusations are gut-wrenching. It is our duty as a society and a state to viciously fight the culture which allows for such horrid incidents to occur, and support the victims as much as possible."
The Israel Women's Network said in a statement: "30 men wait in line to rape a 16-year-old girl, and the world still stands and the headlines still deal with the same issues. The life of a young woman was shattered into pieces. Out heart is with her."
Joint List MK and former chair of the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality Aida Touma-Suleiman described the alleged assault as "horrid".
"Another gang rape by 30 violent men, an incomprehensible evil. The thought that a 16-year-old girl had to deal with that situation is mortifying.
"She deserves a support system, which will back her claims with the required sensitivity and quickly collect forensic evidence. We cannot abandon victims in the face of the bureaucratic hell of the police and the justice system."
Israelis protest mass rape of teen as suspect has remand extended
Rallies held in dozens of locations, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv after 16-year-old girl says she was raped by over 30 men in Eilat hotel; two 27-year-old suspects detained so far as police set up special unit to deal with large number of alleged rapists
Israelis across the country took to the streets on Thursday night to express their revulsion at the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl by more than 30 men in an Eilat hotel last week.
Protests took place in 33 locations, including the major cities of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and Eilat, the Red Sea resort city where the alleged rapes took place.
Earlier Thursday, Ashkelon Magistrate's Court granted a five-day remand extension for of one of the suspects in the case.
The 27-year-old suspect is one of just two men arrested so far in the alleged rape. The teenager filed a police complaint on Friday, stating that she had been attacked by more than 30 men in her room in at the Red Sea Hotel two days prior. The hotel denies any involvement in the alleged attack.
According to the police investigation, the 27-year-old is a resident of northern Israel and has appeared to have exchanged text messages with the alleged victim. In one of the messages, the suspect says he has video recordings of the rape.
Lior Ronen, who represents the suspect on behalf of the Public Defender's Office, said: "The case is being conducted behind closed doors and is under gag order. Therefore, all we can say is that the man denies any connection to the affair and we are waiting for the police to review his version of events soon."
The other suspect, also aged 27, has been charged with rape, conspiracy to commit a crime and failure to prevent a crime.
"My client's version of events is that some of the time he was in the room and some of the time he was not," his attorney Ofra Siboni told the jcourt.
"He could not prevent the 30 or so men from having sex with the girl. He was afraid of them."
The hotel where the rape allegedly took place was the subject of widespread criticism for its handling of the situation, and for continuing to advertise Rosh Hashanah deals concurrently with the police investigation.
"Shame on you," wrote one user on the hotel's Facebook page. "For not posting a post condemning the shocking incident that took place at your establishment, for not apologizing for failing to defend one helpless girl from 30 predators. Shame on you."
"Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame on your sexist commercial and shame that you are not currently on every possible channel... trying to justify and explain how such a thing could have happened at your establishment without anyone knowing or trying to stop it," wrote another user.
In response to the public outcry on Facebook, the hotel manager denied it was the site of the alleged rape.
The incident also shook lawmakers, public figures and women's rights groups, who all expressed their shock at the alleged rape.
Eilat Mayor Meir Yitzhak Halevi also posted condemnation of the alleged attack: "What we see here is animalistic behavior of a bunch of immoral men... We hope they will be dealt with to the full extent of the law."
Sofia Gordeev, the director of the Rape Crisis Center in Eilat, said: "We condemn the gang rape of the 16-year-old girl and any case of sexual violence in Eilat and anywhere else in the country. We work on a number of urban programs... meant to make residents the gatekeepers in case they see someone in distress. In addition, at the aid center, we accompany those men and women who were hurt by providing them with assistance. "
According to a preliminary investigation, the minor traveled with a friend to the resort city where she met several of her friend's acquaintances. They apparently began drinking alcohol and at one point the teen went up to one of the rooms to use the rest room. In that room, according to her, she was raped by dozens of men, each waiting to take their turn.
Media outlets reported that security camera footage from the hotel showed men lining up in the hallway waiting to take their turn raping the girl.
Due to the high number of possible suspects, police have set up a special investigative team.
The outrage over the alleged assault began pouring in late Wednesday, when the case was first made public.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident a "crime against humanity."
"My wife and I read this morning about the suspected gang rape in Eilat. It is horrid, there are no other words to describe it. It is not just a crime against this girl, but a crime against humanity, deserving of every condemnation," Netanyahu said.
The Israel Women's Network said in a statement: "Thirty men wait in line to rape a 16-year-old girl, and the world still stands and the headlines still deal with the same issues. The life of a young woman was shattered into smithereens. Our hearts go out to her."
Joint List MK and former chair of the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality Aida Touma-Suleiman described the alleged assault as "evil."
"Another gang rape by 30 violent men, an incomprehensible evil. The thought that a 16-year-old girl had to deal with that situation is mortifying," she said.
"She deserves a support system that will back her claims with the required sensitivity and quickly collect forensic evidence. We cannot abandon victims in the face of the bureaucratic hell of the police and the justice system."
2 aug 2020
The 11-month-old child was taken to a hospital after showing signs of weakness; baby's blood tests showed high levels of cannabis and cocaine, prompting police to investigate the mother and the father, a well-known Tel Aviv businessman
A cocktail of drugs, including cocaine, was found in the blood of an infant son of a well-known Israeli businessman, after the baby was admitted to hospital with muscle weakness on Friday.
Police said they have opened an investigation into the incident.
The 11-month-old toddler was taken to the to Tel Aviv's Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital (part of Ichilov Medical Center)on Friday, after showing signs of muscle weakness and apathy.
Following the child's blood tests results, it was revealed he had high concentrations of both cannabis and cocaine in his system.
The hospital's staff immedietely alerted welfare authorities, despite the fact that the toddlers parents, "seemed attentive and normative."
Ichilov's Spokesman Avi Shoshan confirmed the reports and said the toddler's is feeling well and he is expected to be released from hospital on Monday.
In recent years, there have been several cases where infants had to be rushed to a hospital after accidental drug poisoning.
In April 2018, a 10-month-old baby arrived at HaEmek Medical Center in Afula in northern Israel in a critical condition after suffering from respiratory arrest.
In July of that year, an 11-month-old baby girl was admitted to hospital with traces of cannabis and heroin in her system.
Exposure of infants and children to drugs leads to rapid and very severe side effects due to the fact that their undeveloped livers cannot process the toxins which reach the brain quickly.
The ramifications of drug poisoning in children can be dire. These include brain damage, arrhythmias, and sometimes even ruptures of blood vessels and damage to liver and kidneys.
A cocktail of drugs, including cocaine, was found in the blood of an infant son of a well-known Israeli businessman, after the baby was admitted to hospital with muscle weakness on Friday.
Police said they have opened an investigation into the incident.
The 11-month-old toddler was taken to the to Tel Aviv's Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital (part of Ichilov Medical Center)on Friday, after showing signs of muscle weakness and apathy.
Following the child's blood tests results, it was revealed he had high concentrations of both cannabis and cocaine in his system.
The hospital's staff immedietely alerted welfare authorities, despite the fact that the toddlers parents, "seemed attentive and normative."
Ichilov's Spokesman Avi Shoshan confirmed the reports and said the toddler's is feeling well and he is expected to be released from hospital on Monday.
In recent years, there have been several cases where infants had to be rushed to a hospital after accidental drug poisoning.
In April 2018, a 10-month-old baby arrived at HaEmek Medical Center in Afula in northern Israel in a critical condition after suffering from respiratory arrest.
In July of that year, an 11-month-old baby girl was admitted to hospital with traces of cannabis and heroin in her system.
Exposure of infants and children to drugs leads to rapid and very severe side effects due to the fact that their undeveloped livers cannot process the toxins which reach the brain quickly.
The ramifications of drug poisoning in children can be dire. These include brain damage, arrhythmias, and sometimes even ruptures of blood vessels and damage to liver and kidneys.
30 july 2020
One of the teens, aged between 13 and 17, is suspected of 'pimpimg' the girl and for months organizing meetups between the victim and his friends, some of which were filmed, where the alleged abuses occurred
Police in Jerusalem on Thursday arrested five teenagers on suspicion of committing illegal sex acts on a 12-year-old girl and filming some of them.
According to the accusations, the acts had been committed over the course of several months, some of which the teens, aged between 13 and 17, filmed on their phones.
The alleged crimes were uncovered following an undercover police investigation, after receiving information that raised suspicion about the teens.
The police said one of the teens is suspected of "pimping" the girl and organizing meetups between the victim and his friends.
Two of the suspects were brought before court on Thursday morning, and two others will appear before court later in the day.
The head of Na'amat, an Israeli women's organization, said the affair "will scar the girl's soul for life."
"The combination of alleged serious sexual offenses along with the documentation of the incident, once again illustrates the importance of education from an early age," she said.
"I call on the welfare authorities to provide emotional support to the 12-year-old girl, who faces a long and torturous rehabilitation.
At the same time, the police must make sure that the alleged victim does not suffer from being shamed on social media, as it often happens in such cases."
Police in Jerusalem on Thursday arrested five teenagers on suspicion of committing illegal sex acts on a 12-year-old girl and filming some of them.
According to the accusations, the acts had been committed over the course of several months, some of which the teens, aged between 13 and 17, filmed on their phones.
The alleged crimes were uncovered following an undercover police investigation, after receiving information that raised suspicion about the teens.
The police said one of the teens is suspected of "pimping" the girl and organizing meetups between the victim and his friends.
Two of the suspects were brought before court on Thursday morning, and two others will appear before court later in the day.
The head of Na'amat, an Israeli women's organization, said the affair "will scar the girl's soul for life."
"The combination of alleged serious sexual offenses along with the documentation of the incident, once again illustrates the importance of education from an early age," she said.
"I call on the welfare authorities to provide emotional support to the 12-year-old girl, who faces a long and torturous rehabilitation.
At the same time, the police must make sure that the alleged victim does not suffer from being shamed on social media, as it often happens in such cases."
27 july 2020
A woman and her teenage son were arrested on Sunday for assaulting police officers over a face mask dispute at a shopping mall in Jerusalem.
The incident happened after two police officers approached the woman at Malha Mall, also known as Jerusalem Mall, and handed her a fine for violating a law that mandates the wearing of face masks in public places and for refusing to identify herself.
A video from the incident began circulating on social networks over the weekend and appeared to show only the part where the woman gets inexplicably arrested by two officers who don't appear to wear masks themselves.
The video caused a backlash against the police officers, with some saying the incident was "disgusting" and "shameful".
But, a second video, recorded by a body camera of one of the officers, showed the mother verbally and physically assaulting the cops after being fined.
According to the officers' account, they wrote her a ticket and let her go despite the woman cursing and assaulting the cops.
But, after several minutes, the woman - who still was not wearing a mask - walked up to one of the officers and attempted to steal their pad used for report fines.
At this stage, the officers told the woman she was under arrest for assault. The woman continued to curse the officers in front of her children, prompting them to handcuff her. The woman's son, who assisted the mother in the assault, was also arrested.
During the altercation, the woman also apparently ripped off the face masks from the officers' faces.
After being taken to a local police station and questioned, the woman apologized for the incident. In an unusual decision, the officers decided not to begin legal proceedings and released her without charges.
The incident happened after two police officers approached the woman at Malha Mall, also known as Jerusalem Mall, and handed her a fine for violating a law that mandates the wearing of face masks in public places and for refusing to identify herself.
A video from the incident began circulating on social networks over the weekend and appeared to show only the part where the woman gets inexplicably arrested by two officers who don't appear to wear masks themselves.
The video caused a backlash against the police officers, with some saying the incident was "disgusting" and "shameful".
But, a second video, recorded by a body camera of one of the officers, showed the mother verbally and physically assaulting the cops after being fined.
According to the officers' account, they wrote her a ticket and let her go despite the woman cursing and assaulting the cops.
But, after several minutes, the woman - who still was not wearing a mask - walked up to one of the officers and attempted to steal their pad used for report fines.
At this stage, the officers told the woman she was under arrest for assault. The woman continued to curse the officers in front of her children, prompting them to handcuff her. The woman's son, who assisted the mother in the assault, was also arrested.
During the altercation, the woman also apparently ripped off the face masks from the officers' faces.
After being taken to a local police station and questioned, the woman apologized for the incident. In an unusual decision, the officers decided not to begin legal proceedings and released her without charges.
