Jerusalem attack: Arab motorcyclist runs over Jewish man, shouts antisemitic slogans

“This is a very serious antisemitic incident that challenges the right of Jews to live in our capital, Jerusalem,” said the victim’s lawyer.

By World Israel News Staff

An Arab motorcyclist ran down an Orthodox Jewish man in an apparent ramming attack in Jerusalem during the Sukkot holiday.

The attack occurred in the predominantly Arab neighborhood of Beit Safafa in southeastern Jerusalem during the first day of the Sukkot festival on Monday afternoon.

A 22-year-old haredi resident of Jerusalem and his 13-year-old brother were walking down the street. A passing Arab motorcyclist spotted the two haredi brothers as he drove by in the opposite direction. He then made a U-turn and sped up towards them.

He ran over the elder brother, hitting him in the leg.

During the attack, the motorcyclist shouted antisemitic epithets at the two pedestrians and demanded they leave the neighborhood.

The victims later filed a criminal complaint against the motorcyclist at a local police station.

The brothers are being assisted by attorney Haim Bleicher from the Honenu organization.

“This is a very serious antisemitic incident that challenges the right of Jews to live in our capital, Jerusalem,” Bleicher said, according to a report by Israel National News. “An attacker on a motorcycle who runs over a person because of his Jewish appearance is a terrorist and we expect the police to make every effort to catch him and prosecute him as quickly as possible.”

Also on Monday, Palestinian Arab gunmen opened fire at a hotel in Bethlehem in which Jewish symbols were displayed in one of the hotel’s event halls.

The upper floors were damaged but there were no injuries reported in the incident.