Bus driver attacked in Jerusalem: ‘I tasted blood and saw faces full of hatred’

A Jerusalem bus driver was severely beaten by a group of youths on Monday after stopping at a red light in the Ramat neighbourhood. The driver of the number 2 route had noticed young men hitting the sides of the bus before the assault escalated into a violent attack. He lost four teeth in the incident and was knocked unconscious for approximately two minutes. When he regained consciousness, he heard cursing and shouting, though he remained unclear about what had triggered the initial confrontation. “I tasted blood in my mouth and saw faces full of hatred,” he told witnesses at the scene.

The attack has been condemned by worker advocacy group Koach LeOvdim (Power to Workers), which described the incident as crossing a dangerous line. “This was an attempted lynching,” a spokesperson for the organisation stated, highlighting growing concerns about violence directed at public transport staff in Israel’s capital. The organisation has long campaigned for better safety measures and legal protections for bus drivers who face regular harassment and physical threats while working.

The incident is the latest in a series of attacks on Jerusalem’s public transport workers, raising questions about security protocols and passenger behaviour on buses operating in sensitive areas of the city. Police have launched an investigation into the assault, and authorities are reviewing security camera footage from the bus to identify those responsible for the attack.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.