tractor attacked two Jewish motorists
tractor attacked two Jewish motoristsIsrael news photo: Elana Shimon

An Arab farm tractor driver lightly wounded two Jewish motorists in Samaria Monday night in what apparently was an intentional attack. The driver plowed his tractor into one car and then knocked a second vehicle 50 feet into a ravine. Two motorists were lightly wounded and treated at a nearby hospital.

The Arab driver abandoned his tractor and fled to a nearby village, where IDF soldiers found and questioned him. The IDF said the incident was a traffic accident as a result of the tractor's traveling without lights, but eyewitness reports indicate that the Arab purposely struck the cars although the attack may not have been pre-meditated.

The incident occurred at the intersection near the Gilad Farm, where Arabs have attacked several times.

Truck driver Eliyahu Deri told Israel National News that he stopped his vehicle to block the tractor after he saw it trying to pass him recklessly. Deri explained that he feared that the Arab was going to run down cars ahead of him. 

The tractor then swerved "suddenly and sharply to the left" an intentionally struck a car, according to the driver, Shai Keisler, who suffered back injuries. Other witnesses said that a second vehicle, driven by a woman, also was attacked by the tractor and was thrown into a deep ravine.

One IDF officer said the attack was part of a continuing escalation of attempts to kill Jews in Judea and Samaria, but police and the IDF are not treating the incident as a terrorist attack.

Earlier on Monday, two Arabs attacked an lightly wounded a young Jewish boy in Hevron, and other terrorists, armed with firebombs, attacked vehicles in Gilo, in southern Jerusalem. Rock-throwing attacks also were reported on an Israeli bus near Shechem and on Israeli cars near Yitzhar, in northern Samaria.

Last month, three Arabs driving a vehicle without license plates tried to run over soldiers near Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem.