search

WATCH: Jerusalem mayor pins down terrorist

Security camera footage captures Nir Barkat and a bodyguard tackling stabber, treating victim

Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

A security camera caught the dramatic moments Sunday afternoon when Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and his security team apprehended a Palestinian teenager who had just stabbed an Israeli man.

The black-and-white footage shows pedestrians waiting to cross the busy Tzahal Square near City Hall. The Palestinian man pulls out a knife, then stabs his victim from behind.

The wounded Israeli man, Avraham Goldstein, turns and keeps the attacker at bay with his phylactery bag as other passersby scatter.

Goldstein can then be seen retreating across the intersection as the assailant walks into the street, seemingly pondering his next move.

That’s when Barkat, visible in his white shirt, marches in from the right with his security team. Guns drawn, the bodyguards on both sides of Barkat order the Palestinian man to drop his knife, which he does.

The video then shows Barkat lunging at the attacker and bringing him down with the help of his bodyguards.

The mayor then approaches the victim, who can be seen standing in the intersection, and sits him down on the sidewalk.

The assailant was an 18-year-old Palestinian who was residing illegally in Israel.

Barkat told Channel 2 he was on the way to the municipality headquarters for a meeting when he saw the attack unfold.

Asked whether he had considered that the attacker might injure him, and score a certain propaganda victory, Barkat said he hadn’t given the notion a thought and that he had acted “instinctively.”

It was clear that the assailant was “not going to attack me,” Barkat said. If he had kept on trying to stab people, “he would have been killed.”

צפו: מעצר המחבל הנתעב ע״י ראש העיר ירושלים, ניר ברקת ומאבטחו. השניים הסתייעו לאחר מכן בכוחות משטרה.

Posted by 0404 on Sunday, February 22, 2015

The victim was transferred to Hadassah-Ein Kerem Medical Center for treatment.

read more:
Never miss breaking news on Israel
Get notifications to stay updated
You're subscribed
image
Register for free
and continue reading
Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. It takes just a few seconds.
Already registered? Enter your email to sign in.
Please use the following structure: [email protected]
Or Continue with
By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. Once registered, you’ll receive our Daily Edition email for free.
Register to continue
Or Continue with
Log in to continue
Sign in or Register
Or Continue with
check your email
Check your email
We sent an email to you at .
It has a link that will sign you in.