2 Chareidim Moderately Injured In Terrorist Shooting Attack In J’lem’s Shimon Hatzadik Neighborhood

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In a terrorist shooting attack which occurred in the Shimon Hatzadik neighborhood of Jerusalem on Tuesday morning, two Breslov chasidim returning from prayers at the tomb of Shimon Hatzadik were shot in their car by a lone terrorist, suffering light to moderate injuries. The terrorist, who allegedly opened their car and shot at them, fled into the neighborhood and has not yet been apprehended. Large police forces arriving on scene located the weapon used in the attack and are scouring the neighborhood for the terrorist, whose picture appears on surveillance cameras.

The two victims, aged 50 and 48, succeeded in driving to the entrance to the neighborhood despite their wounds. They were taken to Har Hatzofim and Shaare Tzedek hospitals. One of them is described as in light condition and the other suffered moderate injuries. Their names for prayers are Moshe Yosef Ben Malka and Yaakov Ben Pnina.

Dramatic surveillance camera footage show terrorist opening fire on Jewish car in Shimon Hatzadik neighborhood. Note the Arab cars driving near the scene and ignoring the terrorist

This is the third terrorist attack within 24 hours. On Monday evening a female terrorist stabbed a resident of Karmei Tzur at the Gush Etzion junction, moderately injuring him. The terrorist was neutralized by bystanders. Late at night terrorists from the Jenin region fired shots at Kibbutz Maale Gilboa, hitting one of the houses. There were no injuries in the incident.

The son of one of the injured told Ynet that “I spoke with my father, he’s fine. Every day he goes to pray at the tomb of Shimon Hatzadik. With G-d’s help he will be there for the midnight Kollel tonight. He was supposed to go a quarter of an hour before me and I was supposed to be in the car. Because he has courage, he succeeded in scaring off the terrorist, who was firing from point blank range. My father always says that there are tons of weapons in Sheikh Jarrah [Nahalat Shimon- the adjacent neighborhood] and it is the fault of the police.”

Tensions in the neighborhood are high due to eviction orders against many of the Arab residents. In December 2021 a 14-year-old girl stabbed and lightly injured a Jewish female resident of the neighborhood. In May 2021 riots broke out after police tried to implement eviction orders in the neighborhood. The riots led to the Guardian of the Walls campaign and to large-scale rioting in Israeli Arab towns.