Israel on max alert after deadliest terror attack in almost six years
Four people were killed by Israeli citizen Muhammad Abu Alkiyan in the Tuesday afternoon attack outside a shopping mall in Beersheva
Jeremy Last is assistant web editor at the Jewish News. He lives in Israel, and is currently in his second stint at the JN, having worked for the paper back in the early 2000s!
Israeli security forces have been put on maximum alert after four people were killed in Beersheva on Tuesday in the deadliest terror attack on Israeli civilians for almost six years.
The terrorist, who was shot dead by an armed passer-by, was a former school teacher who was released from prison in 2019 after serving four years for forming a group that planned to travel to Syria and join the Islamic State.
Muhammad Abu Alkiyan, 34, an Israeli citizen, was also convicted of teaching children and mosque-goers content inspired by ISIS.
The last time four Israeli civilians were killed in a terrorist attack was in June 2016, when two gunmen opened fire in the Max Brenner restaurant at Tel Aviv’s Sarona Market.
In Tuesday afternoon’s attack Abu Alkiyan stabbed a woman to death at a petrol station then got in his car and ran over a cyclist before getting out and killing a man and a woman outside a shopping centre, also with the knife.
It was the third stabbing attack in Israel this week, after a 35-year-old man was stabbed and lightly wounded in Jerusalem on Saturday and two policemen were lightly injured when they were stabbed in east Jerusalem on Sunday.
Defence Minister Benny Gantz confirmed that the incident has prompted the security establishment to raise the alert levels in Israel.
“We are on high alert against all threats in all areas,” he said. “We will make sure that anyone who encourages or supports the latest attacks will pay a price.”
The victims in Tuesday’s attack were named as Doris Yahbas, 49, a mother of three, Laura Yitzhak, 43, another mother of three, Rabbi Moshe Kravitzky, a father of four, and Menahem Yehezkel, 67.
Footage broadcast on Israeli TV showed Abu Alkiyan standing at a roundabout outside the BIG shopping centre, looking around while holding the knife in the air having already killed four people.
Before police were able to get to the scene he was approached by an armed local bus driver, Arthur Chaimov, who attempted to convince him to drop the knife.
As Abu Alkiyan lunged at the Chaimov another armed civilian shot him dead.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had been in Egypt on Tuesday to meet with President of Egypt, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Immediately after the attack, Bennett expressed his condolences and said he is consulting with Internal Security Minister Omer Bar-Lev on the situation.
“I send my deepest condolences to the families of those killed in the deadly attack in Beersheva and pray for the well-being of the wounded,” Bennet wrote in a tweet.
“I have now conducted a situation assessment and consultation with the Minister of Internal Security and the Commissioner of Police following the attack.”
Israeli politicians from across the spectrum condemned the attack.
In a tweet, President Isaac Herzog wrote: “The heart is torn… together with the people of Israel, I send condolences to the families of the mourners. I am confident that the security forces will act decisively and that those responsible will give the verdict.”
And Muslim party Ra’am issued a statement condemning the “despicable attack in Beersheba,” and sending condolences to the families of those killed.
“Ra’am calls on all citizens to preserve the common, fragile social fabric, to be responsible and advance a discourse of tolerance in this difficult hour,” the party said.
The Hura local council released a statement saying it “condemned in every way possible the deadly attack.”
“Attacking innocent civilians is a criminal and despicable act of terrorism. The council calls on both Arabs and Jews of the Negev to maintain the neighbourly relations between the two sides that there has been until now.”
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