MK Dov Khenin (Hadash) on Sunday called on the Minister of Education to declare the coming year as the year of the fight against racism. Referring to a racist attack on an Arab worker in the city of Jaffa, Khenin said, “The ongoing crimes related to hate and racism need to be dealt with. I call on the police to give priority to investigating hate crimes and to bring perpetrators to justice. I call on the Minister of Education to declare the coming year as the year of the fight against racism in the education system and make the struggle against racism the main topic of the year. We, the members of the Knesset, also have a great responsibility to promote comprehensive legislation against racism. In this spirit I have submitted a bill dealing with the fight against racism in all its forms.”

Hadash posters on Tel-Aviv streets: “Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies” (Photo: Hadash)

A 40-year-old Jaffa resident was attacked early Sunday morning in Tel Aviv by Jewish youths and sustained serious wounds to his head. The attack, which occurred on Herbert Samuel Street on the city’s seaside promenade, around 4:00 A.M. after the victim, Hassan Usruf, 40, had gone out to work. Usruf operates a street-cleaning vehicle for contractor cleaning company. He was admitted to the Sourasky Medical Center with injuries to his head, eye socket and jaw, has filed a complaint with Tel Aviv District Police. According to Usruf, it was at this point that he felt his life was in danger. “I told myself I would never make it home. They were drunk and beat me because I’m Arab. They were racists,” he recounted. “I tried to run away, but I couldn’t. I was on the ground, alone against 20 people. God loves me so I survived. I’ve been working with Jews for years and they are like brothers to me, but these people were drunken racists.”

Issuing a call to fight racism in Tel Aviv and across Israel, hundreds gathered on the city’s promenade on Monday, close to where the Arab worker was savagely beaten. The rally was attended by MKs including Dov Khenin (Hadash), Stav Shaffir (Labor), Tamar Zandberg and Issawi Freij of Meretz, and Yoav Goldring am member of the Tel-Aviv city council and a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. During the rally Khenin called for Tel Aviv Municipality workers to hold a one-hour strike in solidarity with Usruf, who was performing his job as a municipality street cleaner when he was attacked.