Bus Drivers Halt Service in Modi'in Illit After Violent Arrest of Driver

Severe disruptions hit public transportation in Modi'in Illit on Monday after drivers for the Kavim company stopped work to protest the arrest of one of their colleagues. The incident reportedly began with a fight between a public bus driver and a shuttle driver in the city.

During the confrontation, one passenger on the shuttle called the bus driver a "terrorist." Footage circulated from the scene shows a police officer arresting the bus driver by force and under threat of a Taser. The driver, who is Arab, told the officer he needed to return to work, but the officer replied that it did not interest him. The driver then accused the officer of racism.

Following the arrest, Kavim drivers launched a protest and shut down public transportation in the city. In a statement, the company told passengers that "due to an act of violence against one of the company's drivers, there are severe disruptions in public transport operations in Modi'in Illit," apologizing for the inconvenience and saying it was making every effort to restore normal service as soon as possible.

Later, it was reported that the bus driver had been released from the police station and that service is expected to return to normal shortly.