Jerusalem Bus Driver Attacked by Settler Youths While Driving to Western Wall

Muathasim Kak, a veteran bus driver for Superbus, was violently attacked late Saturday night while driving route 83 from Ma'aleh Zeitim to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The assault occurred at the Ramat Eshkol intersection when a group of young settlers wearing kippahs began damaging his bus, breaking the side mirror. When Kak leaned out to assess the damage, he was struck forcefully in the face with a blunt object, possibly metal or wood, causing him to lose consciousness briefly and break four teeth.

Despite heavy bleeding and shock, Kak managed to drive away from the scene and call for emergency assistance. Paramedics treated him on site before transporting him to the hospital. In an interview on Kan News, Kak described his pain and confusion over the attack, emphasizing his long history of safely transporting passengers to the Western Wall. He expressed hope that police would identify the attackers using bus and intersection security cameras.

The Workers' Power union, representing public transport employees, condemned the attack and warned that the incident could have ended in a much worse disaster if Kak had lost control of the bus. They called on Superbus management to urgently provide security footage to investigators and demanded expanded security measures on Jerusalem's public transportation.

The Jerusalem District Police have opened an official investigation, collecting forensic evidence and reviewing surveillance footage to identify and prosecute those responsible for the assault.