A queer soldier from the Education Corps was the target of an LGBT-phobic attack on a bus in Tel Aviv on Friday.
The crime was recorded by the soldier’s friends and was soon posted on Facebook by a family member, where it quickly attracted the attention of viewers.
In the video, you can see three young men who insult the soldier over their identity, cursing and belittling them. They respond back saying “I have pride in myself, in who I am.”
The men continue harassing the soldier, prompting the soldier to wave the pride flag. After realizing their actions are being recorded, one of the men starts recording the soldiers himself and another pulls his shirt over his face.
Soon after the three men hurry off the bus, but not before one of the men spits at the soldiers.
Attackers exposed
The Facebook post explains that the video reached Daniel Amram, a Twitter user who exposes the identities of those who commit crimes on video. He found the identities of the three young men in the video within four hours of receiving it.
Amram was able to get a hold of not only the perpetrators’ faces and names but also their social media profiles. He passed these details on to the soldier who then filed a police complaint.
This led to the arrest of two Israeli teens, including a minor on Friday under suspicion of harassment and assault, according to Israel Police. The two, both residents of central Israel, will be interrogated by Tel Aviv District Police officers.
The hate crime came at the height of Tel Aviv pride when tens of thousands of people arrive in the city to celebrate diversity and their identities.
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