A Palestinian taxi driver recounted his harrowing experience of being attacked by a group of right-wing protesters in Jerusalem yesterday, leaving him with serious injuries and shaken to the core.
The 32-year-old driver, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, described how he was pulled out of his cab while it was parked on a busy street corner. A group of around 10 individuals, many wearing Israeli flags or carrying right-wing symbols, surrounded him and began shouting insults and threats.
"I thought it was going to get worse," the driver said in an emotional interview, his voice trembling with fear. "They started hitting me, kicking me, and screaming at me to get out of the country. I just wanted them to leave me alone."
According to eyewitnesses, the protesters had been chanting anti-Palestinian slogans and attempting to intimidate locals for hours before making their move on the taxi driver.
"I was in shock," said a witness who wished to remain anonymous. "These people were completely unhinged. They started hitting him with sticks and shouting vile things at him."
The driver claimed that he had previously reported instances of harassment from right-wing groups, but felt too afraid to speak out due to fear of retribution.
"It's been going on for years," he said. "They'll shout at me, spit on me, or try to run me over with their cars. But I never thought it would get this bad."
The driver was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, including a broken rib and multiple bruises. Police were called to the scene, but no arrests have been made yet.
"This is not an isolated incident," said a spokesperson for the Palestinian community center where the driver received medical treatment. "We've seen it happen time and time again. It's just too many times."
The Israeli authorities have promised to investigate the incident and take action against those responsible.
"It's unacceptable that this happened," said a spokesperson for the Jerusalem police department. "We're taking all necessary steps to ensure public safety and prevent such incidents from happening in the future."
The 32-year-old driver, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, described how he was pulled out of his cab while it was parked on a busy street corner. A group of around 10 individuals, many wearing Israeli flags or carrying right-wing symbols, surrounded him and began shouting insults and threats.
"I thought it was going to get worse," the driver said in an emotional interview, his voice trembling with fear. "They started hitting me, kicking me, and screaming at me to get out of the country. I just wanted them to leave me alone."
According to eyewitnesses, the protesters had been chanting anti-Palestinian slogans and attempting to intimidate locals for hours before making their move on the taxi driver.
"I was in shock," said a witness who wished to remain anonymous. "These people were completely unhinged. They started hitting him with sticks and shouting vile things at him."
The driver claimed that he had previously reported instances of harassment from right-wing groups, but felt too afraid to speak out due to fear of retribution.
"It's been going on for years," he said. "They'll shout at me, spit on me, or try to run me over with their cars. But I never thought it would get this bad."
The driver was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, including a broken rib and multiple bruises. Police were called to the scene, but no arrests have been made yet.
"This is not an isolated incident," said a spokesperson for the Palestinian community center where the driver received medical treatment. "We've seen it happen time and time again. It's just too many times."
The Israeli authorities have promised to investigate the incident and take action against those responsible.
"It's unacceptable that this happened," said a spokesperson for the Jerusalem police department. "We're taking all necessary steps to ensure public safety and prevent such incidents from happening in the future."
. Its so sad that people can be so cruel & racist towards others just because they dont agree with them. Like, who does that?!?! 
The police need to do better, like, catch those people ASAP! 
I feel bad for the driver, he wasnt even doin anything wrong, just drivin his cab & tryin to make a livin'. He should get all the support & care hes needin, not just from his community but also from the gov. 
The fact that he reported harassment before but didnt speak out cuz of fear is just heartbreaking 
. We need 2 do more 2 stop this kind of violence & discrimination, we cant keep lettin people get away w/ it! 
Just saw the video of the Palestinian taxi driver getting attacked by right-wing protesters in Jerusalem and I'm still shaking my head... 67% of Palestinians have experienced some form of harassment or assault, according to a recent survey 
. That's like, almost two-thirds of the population! And it's not just isolated incidents, but a pattern of behavior that's been going on for years. The driver had reported similar incidents before, but felt too scared to speak out. Now he's lucky to be alive with serious injuries 
. And by the way, did you know that 70% of Israelis support the right-wing movement? It's time for us to have a nuanced conversation about this issue and find common ground 
.
they need to learn about respect and tolerance, not just shouting hate speech and violence. can't we all just get along? 
the fact that he was too scared to speak out before is heartbreaking 
, taxi driver was just tryna do his job & get home safe, no reason 4 this kinda behavior 
, Palestinian drivers been dealin w/ this crap fer years & it's high time somethin gets done 
. this guy was just driving his taxi and minding his own biz, and then these thugs come out of nowhere and start causing him physical harm... what if it was the other way around? would people be so calm about it? 
. It's crazy how people can be so violent and hateful towards others just because of their background or identity. Like, what even is wrong with people? 
. We should be supporting each other, not tearing each other down 
