Haifa stabbing spree not a terror attack, Druze leaders, assailant’s father insist

Several Druze politicians and community leaders maintain that the stabbing attack carried out in Haifa by a Druze Israeli today was not terror-related, citing the assailant’s history of mental illness.

“From a quick probe, it would have become clear to police that there was no nationalist incident and no Druze terrorist,” says MK Hamad Amar of the right-wing Yisrael Beytenu party. “There has never been a Druze terrorist, nor will there ever be a Druze terrorist.”

Earlier today, 20-year-old Shfaram resident Jethro Shahin exited a bus in Haifa’s Lev Hamifratz station and stabbed five people, killing a 70-year-old man and injuring four others. He was shot dead at the scene by armed civilians. Police said the attack was nationalistic terror.

Amar notes the assailant suffered from severe mental health issues that landed him in a psychiatric ward several times. He adds that Shahin received a monthly disability allowance from the government for his mental illness. A Druze resident of Shfaram himself, Amar urges police to “apologize to all the young Druze who felt extremely hurt” by law enforcement’s labelling the incident as a terror attack.

Suqrat Shahin, the father of the attacker, attests to his son’s mental health issues, in an interview with Ynet and confesses he was shocked to hear about the stabbing.

“We lived in Germany for over 20 years, we used to run joint projects against violence,” he says. “I raised my children for tolerance and love of others. None of us ever had ever thought to harm other people, regardless of who they are.”

Shahin adds that he “is certain that the police will back down from their position that the incident had a nationalistic motive.”

Shfaram’s deputy mayor, Faraj Khanifas, also denies that the attack had any nationalist motive in a letter that affirms the young man had a history in mental health institutions and received assistance from the city’s welfare bureau.