BICOM

A Palestinian man yesterday stabbed an Israeli at a junction in the centre of Jerusalem, but was quickly subdued and apprehended by none other than Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and his bodyguard, who were passing in their convoy.

The 18-year-old attacker, who was reportedly residing illegally in the city, stabbed an ultra-Orthodox man in his 20s in his stomach and then threatened to attack other pedestrians at the junction. On his way to a meeting at the nearby City Hall, Mayor Barkat can be seen in video footage leaping from his car with his bodyguard before they both wrestle the attacker to the ground. They then helped take care of the victim, who was treated at the scene before being evacuated to a Jerusalem hospital with light to moderate injuries.

Barkat later spoke to the press saying, “My bodyguard and I jumped straight out of the car, he drew his weapon and together we caught the terrorist until police arrived, and we took care of the wounded.”  55-year-old Barkat, served as an officer in the IDF paratroopers brigade. He is a former high-tech entrepreneur, who was elected as Mayor of Jerusalem in 2008. Barkat further commented on the incident saying, “This too is part of our life in Jerusalem.”

Israel Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld commented that the “Police force are on heightened alert in Jerusalem after the attack. The Palestinian is being questioned by the police.”

During the past several months there have been several attacks by Palestinian terrorists on Israelis in the city. Three people were killed and dozens injured in two separate incidents towards the end of 2014 in which Palestinians ploughed vehicles into commuters. In December, a Palestinian stabbed and wounded two police officers in Jerusalem’s Old City. Last month a Palestinian also used a knife to stab and injure 12 people on a Tel Aviv bus during rush hour.