Honenu Atty. Chayim Bleicher; Photo credit: Honenu
Thursday, August 15, 2024, 9:17 One month ago, an Arab bus driver with the Metropoline Public Transport Company assaulted a yeshiva student in Mitzpe Ramon after the student questioned why the driver had failed to stop at the bus stop where he was waiting. Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher, who is representing the student, wrote a letter to the police demanding that they arrest the assailant and put him on trial.
In his letter, Attorney Bleicher described the assault: “My client was standing at a bus stop on Nahal Nitzana Street. A No. 60 bus approached the stop, drove toward my client, and then the driver turned the steering wheel back to the street, and continued driving without stopping for my client. My client was forced to walk to his destination, and on the way, he found the bus parked on the side of the street with the driver inside. My client stood by the bus and politely asked the driver why he had not stopped for him earlier. The driver shouted curses at my client and then got out of the bus, verbally abusing my client and his mother with vulgar curses. My client stood still and did not respond. The driver returned to the bus, took out a large metal rod and threatened to murder the student. The driver raised the rod in front of my client as if in preparation to beat him. My client froze. The driver spat in his face while holding the rod in the air and continued to curse him. As the driver continued to threaten my client with murder, he returned to his bus, sat in his seat, and drove away.”
Attorney Bleicher emphasized the fact that the driver poses a danger to the public and that the police should arrest him and bring him before the court: “The assault, which involved threats, was serious in and of itself, all the more so because the assailant is a public bus driver entrusted with the safety of hundreds of citizens every day. The driver’s behavior shows that he is dangerous, violent, and an unrestrained threat to public safety. I demand that a thorough investigation be undertaken as soon as possible and the driver be put on trial for assault and threatening behavior.”
Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher commented on the case: “Violent behavior on the part of Arab bus drivers toward Jewish passengers is dangerous, serious, and a recurring issue that is liable to lead to a catastrophe. Oversight is necessary regarding the identity of drivers behind the wheel of public buses. Violent drivers must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”