Damaged car; Photo credit: Honenu
Thursday, March 26, 2026, 15:46 Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher wrote an urgent letter to the Jerusalem District Police Commander, Avshalom Peled, demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of an Arab truck driver for attempted murder over a car-ramming attack. The incident occurred on March 12, 2026, on the street leading to the Har Homa neighborhood of Jerusalem (Ma’aleh Darga). As of now, the police have refused to classify the incident as a terror attack, and directed the injured party to file a complaint over a traffic accident.
The letter states that the incident began when the Arab truck driver honked furiously at a Jewish driver. One of the passengers gestured with his hand for the truck driver to stop. In response, the truck driver threw an object that hit the roof of the car. He then immediately and intentionally swerved, ramming the car. The car was forced out of its lane towards a traffic circle and collided with a light post that collapsed on impact. The truck driver fled the scene. Eyewitnesses recorded his license plate number.
Attorney Bleicher leveled sharp criticism at the police in the letter, which stated that, “The police officers who arrived on the scene did not pursue the truck, even though they had received its license plate number. The officers directed the injured party to file a complaint at the police station. When the driver attempted to file a complaint, the duty officer at the Oz Police Station refused to accept a criminal complaint for attack and attempted murder. The injured party was directed to file a standard traffic report of an accident. One week later, he attempted to file a complaint at the Lev HaBira Police Station for an attack, and also there was directed to file a complaint for a traffic crime.”
Attorney Bleicher is demanding that the classification of the investigation be changed from a traffic crime to a ramming attack: “Leaving the case without immediate investigation and arrest allows the terrorist to return to his dangerous ways and endanger many citizens. Additionally, the police must immediately issue an arrest warrant for the truck driver, take detailed testimonies from the eyewitnesses, and gather video recordings from the security cameras in the area of the attack before they are deleted.”
Attorney Bleicher, who is representing the Jewish driver, issued a statement: “We encounter repeated attacks by Arab car and truck drivers on Jews. Many times, the question arises as to whether the incident is an accident or an intentional act. Sometimes, it is difficult to arrive at a conclusive answer. However, in the case at hand, the eyewitness accounts decisively indicate an attack. We expect the police, the other law enforcement authorities and the security authorities to handle citizens’ complaints with due seriousness. The terrorist must be arrested before he has another opportunity to murder Jews with a truck or any other means.”