Jerusalem mayor: Attempts to disrupt life in the city will fail
Nir Barkat calls on residents to go back to using the train. Stabbing victim’s doctors say she is no longer in immediate danger
Hours after female IDF soldier Yehudit Aharon was stabbed on the Jerusalem light rail on Thursday, Mayor Nir Barkat encouraged residents to continue riding the city train.
In an interview with Channel 10 news, Barkat said that he takes the attempt to disrupt life in Jerusalem very seriously, but urged residents not to let the attack influence their normal behavior. “Daily routine in Jerusalem will continue and the light rail will continue to operate and serve all residents, Jews and Arabs,” said Barkat.
Barkat emphasized that security on public transport is carried out in conjunction with police and security forces and based upon their directives.
Aharon, who was rushed to the hospital suffering from stab wounds to her chest, underwent a series of operations, but her doctors said that was no longer in immediate danger.
Doctors at Shaarei Tzedek hospital said CT scans showed that the stabbings had missed the soldier’s vital organs.
The attacker boarded the northbound train at the Shuafat station and sat next to the 19 year-old Aharon. As the train approached the Beit Hanina stop, he stabbed her repeatedly and fled. Guards performed first aid on the wounded woman, and evacuated her from the train at the Yekutiel station.
The suspect, an Arab man arrested by police at the Qalandiya checkpoint, admitted to stabbing the soldier.
News reports indicated that the attack was nationalistically motivated.
Early reports said the man fled the scene toward the adjacent Arab neighborhood of Shuafat. Eyewitnesses described the suspected stabber as an Arab man in his 20s wearing a kaffiyeh, jeans and t-shirt.
The entire attack was captured by light rail security cameras.
The suspect was checked by light rail security when he entered the station, Jerusalem District Police commander Deputy Chief Nissim Edri said. Nonetheless, in the wake of the stabbing Transportation Minister Israel Katz called for increased security on the light rail.
