Jerusalem city council member Yosef Chaim Moalem was left seriously injured after three suspected East Jerusalem assailants viciously attacked him during a traffic jam, in what officials warn may be a politically motivated hate crime.
Jerusalem was shaken Wednesday night after City Council Member Yosef Chaim Moalem was brutally assaulted on Route 1 near the Latrun Interchange. The attack occurred during a heavy traffic jam and in full view of his wife and children, who were traveling with him.
From Aid to Ambush
According to initial reports, the violence began when a distressed motorist knocked on Moalem’s window, pleading for help after being targeted in a stone-throwing attack.
Moalem stepped out to assist — but was immediately set upon by three men, believed to be residents of East Jerusalem. The assailants kicked him repeatedly and pelted him with stones, striking his upper body.
The blows caused Moalem to lose consciousness before emergency responders rushed him to Shaare Zedek Medical Center, where he remains under medical care.
Mayor: ‘Grave Incident’
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion condemned the assault as a potential nationalist hate crime:
“The violent attack on Council Member Yosef Chaim Moalem is a grave incident… I call on security forces to use all available means to swiftly apprehend the attackers and bring them to justice.”
Lion vowed the city would stand firmly by Moalem and his family during his recovery.
The incident has fueled urgent calls for tougher security measures on major transport routes and a zero-tolerance policy toward politically or ethnically motivated violence.
