"What happened in Jerusalem is a grave failure, highlighted by the fact that the kids who were involved don't even regret their acts," President Shimon Peres said on Wednesday, referring to the attempted lynching of an Arab man perpetrated by Jewish teens in Jerusalem's Zion Square over the weekend.

Lynch suspects to remain in custody-

Court extends remands of two teens,one of them is a girl, allegedly involved in assault on Arab;The male suspect's attorney claimed that the police is ignoring his client's alibi, and is refusing to use a GPS tracking system to prove that he was nowhere near Zion Square on the night of the attack.



"What happened in Jerusalem is a grave failure, highlighted by the fact that the kids who were involved don't even regret their acts," President Shimon Peres said on Wednesday, referring to the attempted lynching of an Arab man perpetrated by Jewish teens in Jerusalem's Zion Square over the weekend.

Speaking at the annual education conference, Peres noted that "children should be instilled with values, which are not emphasized sufficiently in Israel. It's true that the land is Holy and the country is dear to us all, but human life is no less important."


The president addressed parents and teachers, saying that he would like to see Israel's next generation "taught to be generous and not only courageous. The teachers' role is to encourage students, not just criticize them. The teachers need to stimulate students' imagination and curiosity and give them freedom to act. "


Peres also referred to the advancement of technology and science, saying that "we are a small nation that needs excellent children, and they can only be excellent of we give them the proper conditions.


"We fell in love with this country so deeply, but we mustn't forget that being civilized is no less important than living according to the Torah. We must make the utmost effort to invest in education, so that we can make the world a better place," he said.



A Jewish youth suspected of assaulting an Arab teen last week is to remain in police custody for five extra days, as per a decision issued by the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.

The suspect, 19, was the first to be arrested in connection with the attack, which allegedly involved several other Jewish teens. Eight have been arrested so far; seven of them are minors.


The court also decided to keep a 17-year-old girl in custody for three additional days.


The two suspects whose remands have been extended deny involvement in the attack.


The male suspect's attorney claimed that the police is ignoring his client's alibi, and is refusing to use a GPS tracking system to prove that he was nowhere near Zion Square on the night of the attack.


Sources in the Jerusalem Municipality claim that the city's security cameras weren't operating at the time of the incident due to an effort to upgrade the devices. The police is reviewing footage recorded by businesses in the area.


Witnesses say that the Jewish teens beat the 18-year-old Arab victim, who chose to pass through the square on Thursday night. He sustained serious injuries and went into a coma. Upon waking up, he said he did not remember who assaulted him and how he ended up at the hospital.




http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4271765,00.html


http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4271811,00.html




Photos: President Peres at the annual education conference, Two of the suspects in court