Man spits in face of soldier on bus: ‘Just because I was in uniform’

Stav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel

A Palestinian man spits on an IDF officer on a bus in Bat Yam, May 18, 2025 (X screenshot, used in accordance with clause 27a of the copyright law)
A Palestinian man spits on an IDF officer on a bus in Bat Yam, May 18, 2025 (X screenshot, used in accordance with clause 27a of the copyright law)

A young man spat in the face of an IDF officer in uniform this morning on a bus traveling from Tel Aviv to to Ramat Gan, Hebrew-language media reports.

The soldier, referred to as Cpt. Tamar, was reportedly on her way to base. “Someone was sitting next to me listening to videos in Arabic. At some point, I moved to another seat because I was uncomfortable hearing that music,”she says.

“Then, when he got up to get off at a stop — I believe on Herzl Street in Ramat Gan — he stood next to me, spat in my face, and got off the bus.”

Despite Tamar shouting after the attack, the driver and passengers did not intervene. “You can’t just let something like this happen and move on,” Tamar tells Walla, adding, “I feel like he spat on me just because I was in uniform. I’m disturbed by the audacity — that this can happen in the heart of the city, in broad daylight, on the way to base.”

Walla says that police have opened an investigation following her complaint.

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