1 Murdered, 13 Wounded in Hamas Car Rampage

Jerusalem was again the scene of a violent terror attack perpetrated by a Hamas terrorist driver.

Hamas terrorist Ibrahim al-Akari rammed his van into pedestrians in Jerusalem Wednesday morning, murdering one civilian and wounding 13 others, two critically.

He began his deadly rampage by hitting three policemen as they were waiting to cross the street. He then drove on to mow down passengers waiting at a tram station.

The terrorist continued driving while hitting cars along the way. At some point he hit a vehicle and was unable to continue driving.

The terrorist exited his car with a metal pole and began assaulting bystanders.

Police officers at the scene shot the terrorist dead after he attacked and wounded five officers.

Al-Akari was a resident of Jerusalem. His brother, Musa al-Akari, a convicted terrorist, was released from an Israeli prison as part of the Shalit deal and deported to Turkey.

Hamas Congratulates Terrorist

Mushir al-Masri, Hamas’s spokesman in Gaza, congratulated the terrorist, stating that he “avenged al-Aqsa and the blood of the guards of al-Aqsa.”

Chief of Police Yohanan Danino  stated that “we have added a thousand officers to secure Jerusalem, and we will add more if needed to restore the security to Jerusalem and its residents.” He commended the officers for their response during the attack, saying that he expected any such incident to end with the death of the terrorist.

Jerusalem Mayor: ‘We Will Not Budge’

“This is a hard day for Jerusalem, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat stated. “On behalf of the residents of the city, I convey my deepest condolences to the family of the victim murdered in the terrorist attack and I wish those who were injured a quick recovery.

“I have an important message for the city’s residents,” he added. “The goal of the terrorists is to disrupt our lives and to hurt and scare us. We answer them by showing that we continue with our normal, daily routine. This is the message we will send the terrorists. We are here to stay. We will not budge. We will overcome the challenges and win this battle.”

Israeli Politicians Respond with Rage

Member of Knesset Moshe Feiglin demanded that Israel revoke the Israeli citizenship of terrorists, thus ensuring that their families do not receive benefits on their account.

Minister of Economy Naftali Bennett blamed Palestinian Authority (PA) head Mahmoud Abbas for the attack, saying: “Abu Mazen is the driver of the deadly cars in Jerusalem. The terrorists are just his messengers. The State of Israel must clearly announce that the Fatah-Hamas government is a terror authority and act in kind. Security is not a luxury.”

Deputy Minister Tzipi Hotovely stated that “the terror attack reflects on the loss of sovereignty in Jerusalem. A government that relinquishes control of the Temple Mount allows terror to raise its head in Jerusalem. The battle for Jerusalem must move on to the next stage. Jerusalem is under attack, and calling for calm radiates weakness.”

Finance Minister Yair Lapid declared: “We will fight this wave of terror with all our force and those behind the attacks need to know that we will find them and bring them to justice. I call upon Abu Mazen [Abbas] to condemn these attacks, to end the incitement and to work to lower the flames in Jerusalem. Those who murder innocent civilians in cold blood dishonor the streets of the Holy City, they are terrorists and we will not let them drag us all down with them.”

This attack occurred right near the site of the previous Hamas vehicle attack on pedestrians. Three-month-old Chaya Zissel Braun and Karen Yemima Mosquera, 22, were murdered in October by a terrorist who drove into a train station. It is also the site of the tractor attack in June in which one Israeli was murdered and six wounded.

In total, four Israelis have been murdered by Arab terrorists in Jerusalem since June of this year.

Author: Aryeh Savir
Staff Writer, United with Israel