Five Arab residents of the mixed Jerusalem neighborhood of Abu Tor were arrested on Saturday, over suspicions they were linked to an attack three members of a Jewish family in the capital´s Gai Ben- Hinnom area on Independence Day.

Two other Arab youths were arrested during the police operation for allegedly attacking police officers.

On Thursday, three brothers were evacuated to Jerusalem´s Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Karem with light wounds after they said they were attacked by Arab youths.

"We were 11 there, my family and my sister´s family, in the Gai Ben- Hinnom park for a cookout ," Yehuda Shocken, 25, one of the brothers told Haaretz, saying that "around 6 P.M. a group of six or seven Arab youths sat next to us."

"My brother started talking to them, and at first they answered politely. But then, out of nowhere, they started cursing at my brother, and advancing toward us in a threatening way," Shukrun said.

According to Shukrun, the Arab youths then drew metal chains and pointed sticks which they had hidden under their cloths, and attacked the family.

"My two brothers and I stood between them and the family. One of them hit his chain on my little brother´s head, he needed stitches," Shukrun said, adding that another brother "was hit in the neck and another in his arm."

Shukrun said that during the attack another assailant arrived on horseback to assist his friends.

The suspected were remanded by a Jerusalem magistrate´s court. (© Copyright 2012 Ha´aretz 04/29/12)