LONDON: Israeli police on Monday arrested a 15-year-old Jerusalem resident following an assault on an Arab bus driver in Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem, that left the victim hospitalized.
The attack occurred around noon on Sunday, according to Israeli media reports, when a local Line 2 bus arrived at a square near Yarden Street and a passenger demanded that the driver open the door so he could leave between designated stops.
The driver, identified by Israeli media as Khaled Asiwat, an Arab citizen of Israel, refused to do so, explaining that dropping him off there would violate regulations and could endanger the passenger. The teen then reportedly punched the driver until he lost consciousness.
Bus driver Khaled Asiwat, who was attacked in Beit Shemesh on August 30, 2026, speaks to Israel's Kan public broadcaster about the assault. (Screenshot/Times of Israel)
In an interview with the Israeli public broadcaster Kan from his hospital bed, Asiwat said the confrontation began after several passengers told him to let them off at a spot that was not a bus stop.
