by The Commentator on 28 March 2013 15:21

A group of Arab youths have reportedly attacked an Israeli film director, Yariv Horowitz.

Horowitz, who directed the film "Rock the Casbah" was participating at a film festival in France when he was attacked by a group of Arab youths just before the film won the best film award, unconfirmed reports suggest.

He apparently lost consciousness and has been subsequently treated. Horowitz is said to have returned immediately to the festival after treatment. Authorities are estimating that the attack was racially motivated.

Horowitz, who represents Israel, is said to have been attacked after the screening of the film by a group of Arab youths. The director apparently lost consciousness and was treated at the festival, though some say he declined to file a police report. Various reports are still unconfirmed. After recovering from the blows he received, he is said to have returned to the festival area in "good condition".After the incident, Horowitz's film won the Special Prize of the Jury for Best Picture. Israeli singer and musician Assaf Amdursky also received an award for a movie he wrote music.

The film "Rock the Casbah", starring Yon Tumarkin, follows the story of young soldiers in the first intifada in Gaza. The soliders are located on the roof of a Palestinian family whose son is involved in the murder of one of their battalion.

As yet, the event has gone unreported in the French press. Sources are still trying to confirm many elements of the event.

UPDATE: 30th March 2012 - A statement from the Festival International du Film d'Aubagne has been released on Facebook. It asks that the following events based on their interpretation of the events be clarified:

"We were there during the assault director Yariv Horowitz Thursday, October 21 at 22:30. It is not for us to judge who is to blame and no aggression is excusable. But it should restore some truths:

1 - These are not men who committed the assault but a young infant who was with other kids his age.

2 - It was not Arabic.

3 - The events that triggered the coup (once) have nothing to do with a racist attack.

4 - After being helped by the festival organizers, Yariv Horowitz was seen by firefighters who have identified a minor injury. They suggested he go to the police. The director refused. His injury is minimal it did not want to not go to the hospital.

5 - Far from lynching, Yariv Horowitz returned to the festival the next day and has participated in various events until the end of the festival.

6 - It is mounted on scene the night of the awards ceremony with a smile to receive his prize: special mention for the quality of its staging."

The statement, translated from French, seems to corroborate that the attack did indeed occur. The details however, are still unclear. The Festival maintains that the boys who assaulted Horowitz were "not Arabic", however how they might know this for sure is not stated and runs contrary to the version of events reported around the world.

The rest of the story, including the fact that Horowitz returned to the festival, are upheld by the statement.