The incident followed a controversial flag march through Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday.
“Last night, during a riot in the Sheikh Jara district of East Jerusalem, which involved throwing stones, two suspects who were at the scene were attacked with severe violence, allegedly involving beatings with a stick, punches and pepper spray, journalist who was present and covering the events “and” allegedly stole the mobile device he owns “, the statement said.
“As a result of the attack, the journalist was injured and needs medical help,” the statement added.
“We are looking at violence of all kinds, especially against journalists who are on duty. We will continue to act resolutely against violence and harassment until the perpetrators are involved,” the Israeli police said in a statement.
The journalist who was attacked, Iyad Harab, works for the Israeli news channel Kann News. The CNN team on the ground saw Harab lying on the street moments after he was attacked, screaming about the pain in his eyes.
Harab later said in a video statement shared on Twitter that he had been sprayed with “pepper spray or tear gas” by “young Jews.” A member of the Knesset, Ahmad Tibi, shared Harab’s video statement of the incident.
“I came here after I finished the events at the gates of Damascus, after the march was over … There were clashes here and I came to photograph the young Jews. After they saw me filming, they came and said “no” not a movie. Then they attacked me. “Someone came and sprayed me with pepper spray or tear gas, I don’t know exactly,” Harab said.
“I fell to the ground, I saw nothing. And after I fell, they came with sticks, hit me in the head, back, legs. They knocked me down and kept beating me after I was on the ground. I want to emphasize that the police were shouting and shouting, and the police were on the scene and did nothing. They didn’t move a finger, “he added.
When asked to respond to Harab’s allegations, an Israeli police spokesman said in part: “After the serious case, police launched an investigation and as a result managed to arrest two suspects in a short time and the court granted the police request and extended their detention for several days. “.
A video taken by CNN and others of the immediate aftermath shows Israeli officers offering to help Harab and trying to give him water.
Sheikh Jara is a neighborhood in East Jerusalem, not far from the Old City, which is often a hotbed of Israeli-Palestinian clashes.
During Sunday’s flag march through the Old City, the CNN team witnessed several violent clashes in which Israeli nationalists attacked Palestinians and journalists – including CNN employees – with pepper spray, and threw sticks and bottles at reporters gathered to cover march.
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