Woman Says Palestinian Suspect Groped Her in Tel Aviv Park, Police Extend His Arrest

A Palestinian man from Huwara, identified as Sami Ouda and said to be in his 30s, was arrested after allegedly committing indecent acts against two women in separate incidents in Tel Aviv. Police say the suspect was brought before the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court, which extended his detention until Wednesday in June, while the investigation continues.

One of the complainants described what happened on Friday evening at HaMesila Park in Tel Aviv, a busy spot crowded with families, couples and other visitors. She said she was walking with a friend toward the closed ice cream stand of chef Eyal Shani when she felt a hand grab her backside and try to reach under her underwear from behind. When she turned around, she said, the suspect tried to brush it off by saying, “It was by mistake,” but she insisted the touch was deliberate.

According to her account, the man kept following the two women even after the initial incident. She said another man, who appeared to be under the influence of drugs, warned her that the suspect had harassed another woman about 10 minutes earlier. Later, she and her friend sat near two men on a bench and asked them to pretend to be their partners because she was afraid. Even then, she said, the suspect continued to follow them, stood in front of all four and asked their names, ages and whether they had boyfriends, until the men told him to leave.

The women then went to the Teder club, where security staff immediately understood what they were asking about and said the same suspect had just sexually harassed another woman, a foreign resident from France. That prompted the complainant to file a police report. She said her boyfriend is serving in Lebanon and expressed fear of facing the suspect in a confrontation, but said she would not give up. “While my boyfriend is fighting in Lebanon and saving our country, illegal infiltrators are walking around freely and harassing us,” she said, adding that she hopes he is punished and that her case encourages other women to report abuse.