Barkat at Jerusalem court
Barkat at Jerusalem courtCourtesy

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat testified on Wednesday morning against the terrorist he helped neutralize during a stabbing attack in the capital's IDF Square last February. 

In his testimony before the Jerusalem District Court, Barkat recounted the entire incident in detail, noting afterwards that "I did what is expected of every responsible citizen to do."

At the entrance to the court an emotional meeting was held between Barkat and the Israeli citizen he saved, Avraham Goldschmidt. 

Also in attendance were the members of the Mayor's staff who had helped neutralize the terrorist as he tried to stab Goldschmidt to death - former security guard Assad Naamani; Barkat's former driver, Adi Eliasaf; and head of the Mayor's staff, Dafna Din.

תיעוד: ראש העיר מזהה את המחבל ומשתלט עליו עם מאבטחו

The attack in question occurred in February 2015; Barkat was being driven past IDF Square when he witnessed the stabbing. 

He immediately jumped out of the car and together with his bodyguards neutralized the terrorist. If not for his intervention, Goldschmidt, who was moderately wounded in the attack, would have likely suffered more severe injuries. 

"I saw the terrorist with a knife looking for a second person to stab," the Mayor said at the time. "Without thinking twice, my security guard and I jumped on the terrorist until he was neutralized."