East Jerusalem man sentenced to 15 years for 2016 terror attack

An East Jerusalem terrorist was sentenced to 15 years in jail Tuesday for carrying out a terror attack last year in Jerusalem that injured two Israelis.

Silwan resident Murad Rajabi, who was 20 years old at the time of the attack, was sentenced in the Jerusalem District Court after confessing to carrying out the combined car-ramming and stabbing attack on October 19, 2016.

According to the indictment, Rajabi took an 11-centimeter (4-inch) kitchen knife and set out with the intent to kill Jews. He was riding his motorcycle on Jerusalem’s Hebron Road when he saw two religious-looking Jewish men, Vadim Balkitzky and Yaakov Lomega.

Rajabi accelerated, drove up on the sidewalk and hit Lomega from behind with his motorbike. He then removed his helmet and attacked Balkitzky, who fought with him, causing the knife to fall from his hand. Rajabi hit Balkitzky in the face three times with his helmet.

Along with another friend who was nearby, Balkitzky was able to push Rajabi to the ground and subdue him.

Lomega suffered broken bones and lacerations to his head, while Balkitzky was injured in his face.

Before the attack Rajabi had worked as a cleaner in Jerusalem’s Cinema City movie theater and lived with his parents in Silwan, the court heard.

Rajabi was convicted of attempted murder, aggravated injury, and possession of a knife with nationalistic motives.

In addition to the jail sentence, he was ordered to pay a total of NIS 30,000 ($8,500) to the two Israelis injured in the attack.