Legal Group Demands Reopening of Nabi Samuel Lynch Case, Calls for Terror Charges

The legal organization Honenu has called on the Israeli State Prosecutor's Office to reopen the investigation into a lynching incident that occurred about five months ago in the West Bank village of Nabi Samuel, near Jerusalem. The case involves a young Jewish man who was attacked while driving to pray and study at the Tomb of Samuel the Prophet. Despite being the victim, he was arrested, while the main suspect, an Arab driver, was released and the case against him was closed.

According to the appeal filed by Honenu lawyer Chaim Bleicher, the incident began when the Jewish driver flashed his lights at a slow-moving vehicle. The Arab driver stopped, verbally abused the young man, and physically assaulted him, threatening that he would not let him leave until the villagers arrived to lynch him. The situation escalated as the attacker forcibly blocked the victim's car door, preventing escape, while the victim tried to defend himself. The attack intensified when the attacker’s wife summoned dozens of villagers who began throwing stones at the car and attempted to drag the Jewish man out to lynch him.

The victim, without a phone, protected his head with his bare hands and recited the Shema prayer, fearing for his life. A local sheikh intervened, fearing the consequences for the village, and called security forces, which ultimately saved the victim. However, upon police arrival, the narrative reversed: the police commander noticed a minor head injury on the Arab attacker, reclassified him as the victim, and arrested the Jewish man on suspicion of assault. Medical staff reportedly conducted only a superficial examination of the Jewish victim, influenced by information that he was a "suspect who attacked Arabs."

The next day, Judge Gad Aranberg released the Jewish man to house arrest, noting no complaint against him and affirming he was the attacked party. Since the event, the victim has suffered severe post-traumatic stress symptoms. Evidence supporting the victim’s version includes blood stains of the Arab attacker on the car door, the attacker’s son’s testimony confirming his father tried to physically seize the Jewish man, and the lack of explanation from the attacker’s family for the extensive damage to the victim’s car. Bodycam footage shows the police officer expressing fear of a lynching by the crowd.

Honenu demands that the police and prosecution reopen the case immediately, upgrade the charges against the Arab driver to attempted murder, locate and arrest other participants in the lynching, and prosecute the driver, his wife, and son.