Arab man stabbed in Ashdod in suspected racist attack

Police say victim assaulted after speaking Arabic, is lightly hurt; manhunt underway for suspect in Jewish religious garb

Judah Ari Gross is The Times of Israel's religions and Diaspora affairs correspondent.

The scene of a stabbing attack in the port city of Ashdod on January 5, 2017. (Israel Police)
The scene of a stabbing attack in the port city of Ashdod on January 5, 2017. (Israel Police)

Police launched a manhunt Thursday afternoon after an Arab man was stabbed and lightly wounded in the port city of Ashdod on Thursday in an incident being investigated as a terror attack, officials said.

According to the victim, the suspect, dressed in religious Jewish grab, attacked him after hearing him speak Arabic, police said.

“Police units arrived at the scene and are searching for the suspect who fled the area,” police said.

The victim, a traveling buyer of secondhand goods, was attacked on Haatzma’ut Street in the southern city.

“At this point, and in light of the initial testimonies, we are investigating the suspicion that the incident was nationalistically motivated,” police said.

The scene of a stabbing attack in the port city of Ashdod on January 5, 2017. (Israel Police)
The scene of a stabbing attack in the port city of Ashdod on January 5, 2017. (Israel Police)

The victim was lightly injured, with stab wounds to his extremities.

He received medical treatment on the scene before being taken to the Barzilai Medical Center in nearby Ashkelon, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said.

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