Terror in Central Israel: Arab attacks police with car, gunshots and explosives

A resident of the Arab-Israeli city of Kafr Qasim, within the pre-1967 borders, carried out a premediated attack on police. He was shot and killed. Family denies it was terror.

By World Israel News Staff

Naim Badir, an Arab-Israeli in his 20s, called police Thursday night, faking a report of violence, and then attempted to run them over upon their arrival while shooting and throwing Molotov cocktails.

Police fired back, seriously wounding the assailant, who later died of his injuries.

Three border police were only lightly wounded in the attack in which Badir hit two of them with his car. They were treated initially at the scene and then transferred to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikvah, near Tel Aviv.

Police received a call on the emergency hotline in the middle of the night. They believe the call was made by Badir, who said that explosives were being thrown at a vehicle in an attempt to lure the officers to the site.

Following the incident, while searching for more terrorists involved in the attack, police discovered a knife in Badir’s vehicle.

Meanwhile, his family and community deny that he carried out a terror attack, instead claiming that Israel deals with Arabs unfairly.

“The state needs to wake up instead of constantly blaming Arab society,” a resident of the city told Hebrew-language new site N12.

“Our son did not plan to carry out any attack,” the family said, according to N12. “This is a false version of the police in order to cover up their failures in dealing with crime in Arab society.”

“The police murdered our son in cold blood. There is no attack here,” they said.

“The district commander stated that it was an attack, there is no other version,” police stated in response.

“The officers acted in a determined manner as is expected in such an event from our officers,” said Superintendent Avi Biton, commander of the Central District of the District Police.