Arab Students Attacked with Sticks in Ma'alot After School Sports Victory
Translated & summarized from Al-Shams by baba
Arab students from Yni High School were attacked with sticks by opposing fans and players in Ma'alot after winning a school sports match. Coach Jassem Ali intervened to protect his students but was also injured. The attackers reportedly used racist slurs, and the incident has prompted formal complaints and police involvement. This event marks a serious escalation, as the students had previously played in Jewish towns without incident.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Arab students from Yni High School were attacked with sticks by opposing fans after a sports match in Ma'alot.
- Coach Jassem Ali intervened to protect students but was injured and reported racist slurs during the game.
- The attackers were identified as 11th and 12th graders from the opposing "Ort Ma'alot Tarshihah" school.
- Police arrived 30-40 minutes after the assault, and several students sustained minor injuries.
- Yni High School has filed a formal complaint, with local officials also pursuing legal action.
- The coach described the attack as a serious precedent, highlighting a perceived negative shift in attitudes towards Arab students.
Arab students from Yni High School were attacked with sticks by a crowd of opposing fans and players following a school sports match in Ma'alot. Jassem Ali, the sports coach, stated that his team had won a match against the "Ort Ma'alot Tarshihah" school team. After the game concluded, a group of fans and players from the opposing team attacked the Yni students.
Ali intervened to protect the students but was also assaulted and injured in the hand. He reported that racist slurs were directed at his team's players by the crowd during the game. Ali believes the attack was motivated by an inability to accept defeat combined with racist sentiments, stemming from an Arab team defeating a Jewish one.
The attackers were identified as 11th and 12th graders. The educational staff at the opposing school failed to control the situation. Police arrived 30 to 40 minutes after the incident and dealt with the situation, asking the group to disperse. Several students sustained minor injuries, in addition to Ali's hand injury.
Yni High School has filed a formal complaint, and Ali is pursuing the matter with the police. The head of the local council and the school administration are also involved in the legal proceedings. Ali described the incident as a serious precedent, noting that his students had previously played in Jewish towns without issue, regardless of the outcome. He observed a negative shift in public attitudes towards Arab students, and the attack deeply shocked the students.