Site of Monday's attempted stabbing
Site of Monday's attempted stabbingYonatan Yosef

An Arab man attempted on Monday evening to stab an Israeli police officer near the Shimon Hatzaddik neighborhood in Jerusalem. The stabbing came after a dispute between the Arab, who was driving a vehicle, and the officer, who stopped the vehicle.

As they were arguing over a traffic violation, the Arab man attacked the officer, and the two began to fight. The Arab at one point took out a large screwdriver from his vehicle and attempted to stab the officer. The officer drew his weapon and ordered him to stop, and when he continued to advance, the officer fired several shots into the air. When the attacker continued to advance, poised to stab the officer, the policeman shot him in the leg.

The Arab man then climbed back into the vehicle and drove off. The vehicle was later found abandoned near the grave of Shimon Hatzaddik ("Simon the Righteous" - after whom the neighborhood is named), and police began a search for the attacker.

Residents of the area told Arutz Sheva that the incident was one of many that had occurred in the neighborhood. Just last Friday, an Arab dragged a Jew into an alleyway and beat him up so badly he required hospital treatment. Police said that the incident was not a terror attack, but crime-related.

Residents attributed the incidents to a failure by police to patrol the area properly, and for failing to arrest Arabs who commit crimes. One resident told Arutz Sheva that police were afraid to take action against Arab criminals for fear that local Arabs would riot.

credit: תצפית שמעון הצדיק
credit: תצפית שמעון הצדיק
credit: תצפית שמעון הצדיק