Student tells of disgust at ‘violation’ of Israeli flag
Chanan Reitblat, 21, was giving evidence at the trial of Samuel Colchester, 20, and Paul Donnachie, 18, who face a charge of racially aggravated conduct following the alleged incident at a halls of residence this year.
The pair have also been accused of an alternative charge of acting in a threatening and abusive manner towards United States national Mr Reitblat
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHarvard scholar Mr Reitblat, claimed that he felt “violated” by the alleged incident – to the extent that he “couldn’t eat and couldn’t sleep” and almost failed an exam.
Mr Reitblat told fiscal depute Brian Robertson at Cupar Sheriff Court that the accused entered his room drunk and Donnachie began to refer to Israel as a “terrorist state” and the flag as a “terrorist symbol”. He claimed that Donnachie also called him a terrorist.
Mr Reitblat, who was flown in from New York to give evidence for the Crown, said the flag had been given to him by his brother who served in the Israel Defence Forces.
The trial, before Sheriff Charles Macnair, continues.