Arab mob attacked ultra-Orthodox Jewish couple who accidentally drove into eastern Jerusalem neighborhood, pelting them with stones and firing fireworks at them.
By World Israel News Staff
An ultra-Orthodox Jewish couple were assaulted by a mob of stone-throwing Arabs after they made a wrong turn while en route to the hospital over the weekend.
Last Saturday, Eliyahu and Beila Shtibel, who live south of Jerusalem, drove to the capital after Beila went into labor.
The two were driving towards the Hadassah Medical Center in the Mount Scopus neighborhood when, as a result of construction work which had forced a road closure, Eliyahu accidentally drove into the Arab neighborhood of Issawiya.
Speaking with Hakol HaYehudi, Eliyahu Shtibel said that as soon as they entered the neighborhood, a crowd of young Arab men began to form and head towards the Shtibels’ car.
An elderly Arab man driving down the street noticed the couple had accidentally entered the neighborhood and urged them to follow him.
As the Shtibels made a U-turn to follow the man, one of the young Arab men in the crowd threw a plastic bottle at the car.
Moments later, Eliyahu recalled, the mob began hurling rocks and shooting fireworks at the car.
“They shattered the back windshield, there were so many stones and fireworks. It was like they were ready for a Jew to come in and they would lynch him. Fireworks exploded right on top of our car. All this while my wife was in the middle of labor.”
“I’m wearing haredi clothing on the Sabbath, and they see a woman in the back, we asked them how to get to Mount Scopus, it was clear that we were on our way to a hospital to give birth. I don’t want to think what would have happened if I had driven according to how the young Arabs directed me at first.”
“Suddenly one teen – he looked to be 16 years old – opened my door, grabbed my head, started punching me in the face, and tried to get me out of the vehicle. I pushed him, closed the door, and he tried to open it again. I close it and he opens it again.”
Eventually the couple managed to escape, following behind the elderly man’s car.
“Throughout the birth, my wife was distracted by what happened, but now she really can’t sleep. Both my wife and I are now in a difficult situation, we have nightmares.”
“God saved us, and thank God, the story ends with the birth of a baby boy.”