On 5 February 2018, 29-year-old
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
Itamar Ben Gal from
Har Brakha
Har Brakha ( he, הַר בְּרָכָה, ''lit.'' Mount fBlessing) is an Israeli settlement located on the southern ridge of Mount Gerizim at an elevation of above sea level, in the West Bank's Samarian mountains, near the Palestinian city ...
, was stabbed to death at the Ariel Junction, near the
West Bank
The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
Israeli settlement and city of
Ariel
Ariel may refer to:
Film and television
*Ariel Award, a Mexican Academy of Film award
* ''Ariel'' (film), a 1988 Finnish film by Aki Kaurismäki
* ''ARIEL Visual'' and ''ARIEL Deluxe'', 1989 and 1991 anime video series based on the novel series ...
. The assailant had escaped from the scene, but was arrested following a six-week
manhunt
Manhunt may refer to:
Search processes
* Manhunt (law enforcement), a search for a dangerous fugitive
* Manhunt (military), a search for a high-value target by special operations forces or intelligence agencies
Social organisations
* Manhunt ...
. A protester was killed during a violent demonstration against searching for the suspect.
Incident
The attack occurred at a
bus stop at the Ariel Junction, on
Highway 5
Route 5, or Highway 5, may refer to routes in the following countries:
International
* Asian Highway 5
* European route E05
* European route E005
Argentina
* National Route 5
Australia New South Wales
* M5 Motorway (Sydney)
* The Det ...
. On 5 February 2018, a rabbi was attacked by a man who fatally stabbed him multiple times in the upper body.
The perpetrator is said to have decided to kill a
Jew
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...
during an argument with a policeman at a road junction near Ariel. He purchased two knives, each 27-centimeters-long, at a store in Nablus, and returned to the junction. There, he identified Rabbi Ben Gal as a Jew due to the fact that he was wearing a
kippah
A , , or , plural ), also called ''yarmulke'' (, ; yi, יאַרמלקע, link=no, , german: Jarmulke, pl, Jarmułka or ''koppel'' ( yi, קאפל ) is a brimless cap, usually made of cloth, traditionally worn by Jewish males to fulfill the ...
. He attacked Ben Gal, and gave chase when Ben Gal ran away. The perpetrator was stopped from pursuing his victim when he was struck by a passing car.
Perpetrator
Abed al-Karim Adel Assi (alt. Abd al-Hakim Asi), a 19 year-old
Israeli Arab
The Arab citizens of Israel are the largest ethnic minority in the country. They comprise a hybrid community of Israeli citizens with a heritage of Palestinian citizenship, mixed religions (Muslim, Christian or Druze), bilingual in Arabic and ...
resident of
Jaffa, was behind the attack. His parents are separated. Assis' father lives in Nablus; his mother lives in Haifa. Assis is known to have resided at one time in a home for at-risk youth and to have received social services aid over the years.
Manhunt
During the manhunt for Assi, there were clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian rioters in the city of Nablus, and the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that a Palestinian man, Khaled Tayeh, died.
The six-week manhunt ended with capture of the perpetrator.
Legal proceedings
Assi was indicted for murder and charged with selecting his victim because he was a Jew.
He was convicted.
See also
*
List of terrorist incidents in February 2018
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ben Gal, Itamar
Stabbing attacks in the State of Palestine
Terrorist incidents in the West Bank in 2018
2018 murders in Asia
Stabbing attacks in 2018
Knife attacks in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Deaths by person in the State of Palestine
February 2018 crimes in Asia
2018 road incidents in Asia
Road incidents in the State of Palestine
2018 riots
Riots and civil disorder in the Palestinian territories
Terrorist attacks carried out by Arab citizens of Israel
Ariel (settlement)
Manhunts