Niv Nehemia
Niv NehemiaChannel 20

The Lod District Court on Sunday convicted the terrorist who committed a stabbing attack last year at a branch of the Shufersal chain in Yavneh and seriously wounded Niv Nehemia, the deputy director of the supermarket.

The terrorist, Ismail Abu Aram, 19, from the town of Yatta, near Hevron, was convicted of attempted murder in a terrorist act.

According to the indictment, Abu Aram decided to commit the attack during a recent pilgrimage to Mecca. During his 12-day stay in Saudi Arabia, Abu Aram become convinced he must commit an act of “Jihad against the Jewish-Israeli occupation."

On August 2nd, 2017, Abu Aram crossed the Green Line into pre-1967 Israel without a permit, arriving in the city of Yavneh. Upon entering a local supermarket, Abu Aram searched for a victim, eventually settling upon Niv Nehemia, the store’s deputy manager.

While Nehemia was arranging items in the store, Abu Aram approached him, drew a knife, and stabbed Nehemia in the neck, chest, stomach, and head. Abu Aram stabbed Nehemia a total of 15 times, leaving Nehemia seriously wounded. Abu Aram then fled the store.

Nehemia miraculously recovered from his injuries and was able to give testimony in court during the trial.

"t's not to show that I won and I came out a hero, to show the people of Israel that we were able to stand up to that terror again and win," Nehemia told News 2 several months ago.

"I was prepared to confront him again. With all my disability now, the same case, repeat the same case only this time will not come like a coward behind and come face to face.

Nehemiah reconstructed the moments of the attack. "He asked me where the bathroom was," he said. "Fifteen minutes later, what happened happened." While Niv stood with his back to him arranging items on the shelf, the terrorist pulled a knife and stabbed him mercilessly.

"I remember every minute of the stabbing," he repeated. "The more I tried to shout, the only person who heard me was me."