Teens beat Arab bus driver unconscious in Jerusalem

Teenagers assaulted a driver of a public bus in Jerusalem last night, beating him unconscious and knocking out four of his teeth, a labor advocacy group says.

The driver is identified by his family as an Arab man, Moatasem al-Qaq. The last year has seen a rash of attacks on Arab bus drivers by ultra-nationalist Jewish youths, many of them in and around Jerusalem.

Police say they launched an investigation into the assault. No arrests have been reported.

According to the Koach LaOvdim labor group, Qaq was piloting an empty No. 2 bus when he stopped at a red light, at which point teens began banging on his vehicle.

When he opened his window, the group assaulted him through the portal, and he was knocked out for around two minutes.

“When I came to, I felt blood in my mouth. Around me were curses and yelling and faces full of hate,” the driver is quoted saying. “I got frightened and drove past the junction, but still wasn’t fully conscious and felt that I was losing control. Fortunately, I managed to park the bus.”

After he escaped, the driver contacted police and was taken to a hospital, the labor group says.