TEL AVIV, November 23, 2009 (WAFA)-  The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Monday charged two Jewish colonizers suspected of attacking two Palestinian shepherds near their outpost south of Hebron, Haaretz said.

Yehuda Goldberg and Jeremy Aronson, both residents of the Mitzpeh Yair outpost allegedly beat Palestinian shepherds Khaled and Naeel Abu Aram, aged 55 and 22, with a pipe in June 2008.

The suspects allegedly ordered the Abu Arams to evacuate the premises, which belonged to the settlers.

According to the charges, Goldberg grabbed a plastic pipe from Khaled Abu Aram's hand and proceeded to beat him with it on the latter's neck and shoulder. Then Goldberg and Aronson allegedly began hurling rocks at Naeel. The incident left Naeel with broken cheekbone.

Goldberg claimed that he struck the shepherd 'out of self defense.'

'I admit that it's not my job to make these shepherds leave the area, but the army does nothing and they keep coming closer to the settlement, so I thought I best stop them,' said Goldberg.

For his part, Aronson claimed that he was attacked. 'It was all self-defense,' he said. 'Essentially, Arabs cannot cross the riverbed to come up in the direction of Mitzpeh Yair. I know this because the army gets rid of them every day.'