The WhatsApp group conversation ended in a detention cell: An indictment was filed this week against an adult and three minors for conspiracy to commit a racially motivated crime and assault. The suspects carried out the 'conspiracy' via WhatsApp.
Detectives and investigators from the Jerusalem District Police Central Unit arrested Haim Gamliel, 24, who lives in Jerusalem, on May 15, 2014, on suspicion that over the past few months, under a false identity ('Yossi Cohen'), he had been running several WhatsApp groups and a Facebook page under the title 'Jews Against Assimilation.' The discussion in the groups, according to the indictment, aimed to locate and report on incidents of 'assimilation and rescuing Jewish girls' and even called for attacking Arabs.
The suspect's arrest was made possible following an investigation conducted by investigators from the Nationalist Crime Division of the Jerusalem Police Department, which began by examining an assault incident involving an Arab employee at a bag store in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem.
The attack was carried out by 3 minors aged 16-17 during the month of January, and it is suspected that they responded to a message distributed by Gamliel in the WhatsApp group he managed, which reported on the Arab worker, and called on activists in the area to come to the store and 'take care' of him.
The three minors responded to the message in a group, arrived at the store, identified the Arab employee, beat him vigorously - and fled the scene.
The minors were arrested about a week ago and during their interrogation they confessed to the attack. They claimed they did it because 'he is Arab,' and explained that they were sent to the scene via the WhatsApp group operated by Gamliel.
Join the Haredim 10 Facebook page >>
Join the X page of Haredim 10 >>
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
