Police dismiss claim by family of woman attacked in Jaffa that their car was vandalized

Police suspect vehicle broken into by ordinary criminals, after Hanan Abu Shehadeh’s husband said incident aimed at intimidating them following last week’s alleged hate crime

Police said Friday they suspect a car belonging to the family of a pregnant Arab woman attacked in Jaffa last week in an alleged hate crime was broken into by ordinary criminals, and not targeted by vandals as claimed by the family.

The family of Hanan Abu Shehadeh had claimed that the vehicle was vandalized overnight and accused the perpetrator of “trying to scare and silence us.”

“Following inquiries from reporters, and in total contradiction to reports that have misled the public,” the police said, “this car was not vandalized, and no connection was found to the attack several days ago.”

“There was a suspected break-in to the car, and theft of equipment, causing damage,” the police said. “As previously stated, upon receiving the complaint, an investigation was opened by the Jaffa police, and all necessary actions are being taken to locate the suspects.”

Abu Shehadeh was due to give birth on Friday, according to the Walla news site.

Video shared by Hebrew-language media showed the car with at least one broken window.

“Another violent incident that deepens the feeling of threat and panic amid our family and amid the entire Arab community,” her husband, Fadi Himal, said in remarks quoted by Walla.

“It seems someone is trying to scare and silence us, so that we’ll stop demanding [law] enforcement and justice. But we’re not deterred,” he said.

The Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday extended the detention of three people accused of carrying out the attack, which police have said was premeditated and done with a racist motive.

The three are suspected of pepper-spraying Abu Shehadeh while she was driving Saturday in Jaffa with her two children and mother-in-law. According to her account, the young men hurled racist epithets at her and spat on her young daughter through the open car windows.

The suspects claim a conflict broke out spontaneously, and they acted in self-defense.

The court issued a gag order on details of the investigation and information that could identify the suspects.

The incident has brought hundreds of protesters to the streets in Jaffa and prompted a brief strike in protest.