A night view of Haifa, northern Israel. Andrew Parsons / The National.
A night view of Haifa, northern Israel. Andrew Parsons / The National.

Arabs hospitalised after racist mob beating on Israeli beach



Israel has arrested two Jewish suspects after three Arabs were beaten by a mob on Haifa beach this week following questions about their ethnicity.

The three victims, a doctor from Tel Aviv, a 28-year-old nurse and a 20-year-old friend of theirs, were approached on the beach and questioned about their Arab backgrounds before a group of ten men began to assault them.

“We were sitting on the beach for about half an hour when a Jewish man walked up to us and asked if we were Arabs. We said ‘yes, what do you want?’ And he just left. We thought that he might be drunk. The man returned shortly, this time accompanied by many others," the victims said, according to local media reports.

One of the victims, named only as 'M', said the men shouted at them to not come to the beach before attacking them.

"They came over with chains, sticks and knives. There were about eight of them. They started hitting us without mercy," he told Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

All three men are from Shfaram, an Arab city in the north of Israel. They were taken to hospital for treatment on head injuries after the attack.

“How can someone ask someone what they are and then beat them?” 'M' continued. “Are we not allowed to be here because we’re Arabs? This is a public place and all Israelis are allowed. I was born here in Haifa.”

A judge has ordered the first suspect be released and placed under house arrest. The second suspect was set to face a judge on Sunday.

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Ayman Odeh, the leader of the Arab Joint List party, said the incident was connected to the recent passing of a controversial nation-state bill by the right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The hidden clause in the nation-state law – attacks on Arabs based on racism. These are not fringe elements, but a reality under the auspices of government incitement policy,” he wrote.

Hardline sections of Israeli society are becoming emboldened by the policies of the government, viewed as the most right-wing in Israel's history. In the West Bank, experts and officials have warned that "price tag" attacks are on the rise against Palestinians and their property. "Price tag" attacks are carried out by Jewish extremists who try to damage, desecrate or destroy Palestinian property in a bid to strike fear into the people they seek to remove from the West Bank.

Extremist Jewish settlers, with the help of successive Israeli governments, have created a network of outposts in the West Bank that many believe will prevent any future contiguous Palestinian state. The population of settlers in the West Bank now numbers 400,000, according to official statistics.

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Tips on buying property during a pandemic

Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.

While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.

While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar. 

Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.

Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities. 

Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong. 

Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

Graduated from the American University of Sharjah

She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters

Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks

Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding

 

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