Story By: Eman El-Sherbiny, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

Video Credit: CEN

This is the moment a young man can be seen pummelling the windscreen of a moving car during violent protests in Israel when an Ethiopian teen who was Jewish was allegedly shot dead by an off-duty cop.

The protests started in Haifa, atop Mount Carmel to the north of Israel, and then spread to engulf the entire country blocking major junctions and roads as the violence escalated, according to local media.

The uproar following the killing of 19-year-old Solomon Tekah – which is still being investigated – led to the injury of 110 police officers and the arrest of 136 protesters.

Pictures Credit: CEN

One of the videos also shows a group of men pushing the same car down the road towards a blazing fire to whistling and cheers from their fellow protesters.

Tekah’s family has called on the public and protesters especially to restore calm at least till the end of shiva (which is Hebrew for the seven-week mourning period observed in Judaism following a person’s death). 

“We have lost a child, and we ask the public not to protest until the end of the shiva and to act with restraint and patience,” the family told local media. “At the end of the shiva, we will hold legitimate protests in an organised manner and in coordination with the relevant parties.”

There is a total of 140,000 Ethiopian Jews who live in Israel though the Ethiopian community has repeatedly expressed frustration, accusing Israel of state-sanctioned racial abuse and inequalities.

The police officer who allegedly shot Solomon Tekah has not been named and it is unclear if they have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation. The details surrounding the shooting are also currently unclear.

The ViralTab page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.