Jerusalem Bus Driver Suffers Severe Assault Near Ramot Neighborhood

A bus driver identified as M., employed by Superbus, was violently attacked late Saturday night in Jerusalem just before starting his route 2 shift. After leaving the Ramot neighborhood and stopping at a red light at the Eshkol-Ramot junction, several youths began hitting the bus's sides. When M. opened the window, he was struck hard, losing consciousness, four teeth, and sustaining facial injuries. Upon regaining consciousness, he heard the attackers continuing to threaten and curse him. He managed to drive away, contact police, and receive medical treatment. A police complaint will be filed.

M. described the attack as sudden and unexplained, saying, "I just started my shift, heard loud hits on the side of the vehicle, opened the window, and immediately took severe blows. I was unconscious for about two minutes. When I recovered, I felt blood in my mouth and saw hateful faces around me. I don’t know why. I was scared and barely managed to park the bus safely. I don’t want to imagine what could have happened if there were passengers on board."

This incident follows several recent violent attacks on public transport workers in Jerusalem, including a March assault on bus driver Ali Mousa from East Jerusalem by ten passengers who targeted him allegedly because he is Arab. Mousa was severely beaten and hospitalized. About six months ago, two youths attacked a municipal sanitation worker, Khalil Al-Rashaq, in the same neighborhood, reportedly due to his Arab identity; the assailants were convicted. Tragically, Al-Rashaq was fatally shot last week at the Shuafat checkpoint by Border Police after raising suspicion.

Eytan Cohen, head of transportation at the labor rights group Koach LaOvdim, condemned the escalating violence against public transport workers and praised the driver’s quick thinking for preventing a worse outcome. He called for increased security measures, noting that only three mounted security guards currently patrol Jerusalem buses. Superbus stated it condemns the attack, is cooperating fully with police, and is supporting the injured driver and his family.

According to the National Bus Drivers Organization, at least two bus drivers are attacked daily across Israel, with over a third of assaults involving weapons such as knives, sticks, or glass bottles. Violence intensifies when the driver is Arab. In 2025, 812 attacks were recorded, a 17% increase from 694 in 2024, with more than 36% classified as severe or very severe. Official Ministry of Transport statistics on these attacks are not available.