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Jerusalem — A spate of violent assaults targeting Arab bus drivers in Jerusalem has triggered outrage and renewed calls for enhanced security and accountability.
The latest incident involved 39-year-old Ahmad Shehadeh, who was brutally beaten and robbed by two Jewish passengers on July 15 while working the overnight 69 route through East Jerusalem.
According to Shehadeh, the attack began shortly after 1 a.m. when a man boarded his bus with a friend near Neve Yaakov and began verbally abusing him.
The confrontation escalated quickly, with the assailant striking Shehadeh in the face multiple times, as documented by the bus’s security cameras.
One attacker used his phone to strike Shehadeh’s eye, rupturing the eyeball and leaving the driver temporarily blinded. The second assailant restrained Shehadeh by choking him as the beating continued. The two also stole his phone before fleeing.
“If I hadn’t run from the bus I would have died, literally,” Shehadeh told Channel 13 from his hospital bed, where he received stitches and treatment for serious eye injuries.
Despite graphic video evidence and a police request for continued detention, one of the attackers was released to house arrest.
The court reportedly accepted the argument that Shehadeh attempted to defend himself, a decision prosecutors have unsuccessfully appealed. An indictment is expected this week.
Just days later, another Arab bus driver, Batesh Hatem, was assaulted by a group of over 20 Beitar Jerusalem football fans. The incident took place near Shaare Zedek Medical Center when the gang boarded his bus, hurled insults, and began beating him.
Hatem is recovering under medical supervision and has refused to return to his usual route due to safety concerns. “These attacks are happening every one or two days,” Hatem said in a radio interview. “We see the public more than our own families and still we’re being beaten.”
Since the beginning of 2025, over 724 physical or verbal attacks on bus drivers have been recorded nationwide, according to the Bus Drivers’ Association.
Union leaders and safety advocates have demanded that the government allocate resources to establish a dedicated municipal transport security unit, particularly in Jerusalem where most of the drivers are Arab.
The growing violence is reportedly linked to rising national tensions following the outbreak of war with Iran in mid-June. Yet, many in the driver community feel that the judicial system’s leniency and lack of enforcement only emboldens attackers.
“This can’t go on,” said Israel Ganon, head of the Bus Drivers’ Association. “We have the funds. We need the will.”