2021 Jerusalem shooting

Last updated

2021 Jerusalem shooting
Part of the Gaza-Israel conflict
Video released by Israeli police
2021 Jerusalem shooting
Location Jerusalem
Date21 November 2021 (3 years ago)
Weapon Carlo-type submachine gun [1]
Deaths1 victim, 1 perpetrator
Injured4 victims
VictimEliyahu Kay
PerpetratorFadi Abu Shkhaydam (Hamas)
Motive Palestinian nationalism [2]

On 21 November 2021, a shooting took place in the Old City of Jerusalem. Fadi Abu Shkhaydem, a 42-year-old Palestinian from East Jerusalem [3] killed Eliyahu Kay, a 26 year old dual citizen of Israel and South Africa, [4] who had made aliyah in 2019. [5] [6] He injured four others (including a rabbi) [3] before being shot dead by police. [7]

Contents

The shooting started as the targets were making their way to prayer. [8] Israeli authorities recorded that Abu Shkhaydem shot the tour guide multiple times, [9] and was later pronounced dead at the Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem. The gunman also wounded a rabbi and seriously injured a yeshiva student. Policemen quickly responded by firing at the shooter, killing him. Two of the police officers sustained mild injuries. [3] [8]

Perpetrator

The gunman, Fadi Abu Shkhaydem, was a high school teacher at the Rashidiya school [10] from the Shuafat neighbourhood of Jerusalem. [11] [12] He was widely known to be a Hamas member and regularly preached sermons at the Temple Mount, in addition to taking part in demonstrations against Israeli tourism in the area. [10]

His wife, who had gone to Jordan three days before to visit her sick mother, [13] was arrested the next day at Allenby Bridge. [14] A police report said he that was most likely politically motivated by "nationalist reasons". [15] In January 2022 the Abu Shkhaydem's house was given a demolition order as part of a general Israeli policy. [16]

Aftermath

The Temple Mount was closed to visitors immediately following the shooting attack. Later that day, Hamas confirmed that the attacker was a member of their group and hailed the attack as a "heroic operation". This was the second attack in Jerusalem's Old City in four days, and the first Israeli civilian casualty since the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis. [17] [18]

Many Israeli authorities and organizations condemned the attack, including Isaac Herzog, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, and Naftali Bennett. [19]

The following day, France and the United States Department of State both released a condemnation of the shooting. [20] Dimiter Tzantchev also condemned the attack as "senseless". [12]

References

  1. ↑ "Jerusalem: Shooting near holy site leaves 1 dead". Deutsche Welle .
  2. ↑ Amir Tal, Abeer Salman, Mike Schwartz, Ibrahim Dahman and Shira Gemer (21 November 2021). "Hamas gunman kills one Israeli, injures four others, in Jerusalem attack; police shoot dead assailant". CNN.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. 1 2 3 "Rabbi injured in Jerusalem shooting attack hails 'miracle' from hospital bed". The Times of Israel . Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  4. ↑ Kingsley, Patrick; Noveck, Myra (21 November 2021). "Israeli Is Killed by Palestinian Near Holiest Site in Jerusalem". The New York Times– via NYTimes.com.
  5. ↑ Maltz, Judy; Rabinowitz, Aaron; Hasson, Nir (21 November 2021). "South African Immigrant, 25, Is Victim in Jerusalem Shooting Attack". Haaretz . Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  6. ↑ "Thousands of mourners gather for funeral of terror victim Eli Kay". The Times of Israel . Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  7. ↑ Zion, Ilan Ben (21 November 2021). "Hamas gunman kills 1 before Israeli police shoot him dead". AP NEWS. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  8. 1 2 McCain, Nicole (22 November 2021). "'He treated everyone with love and respect' - fiancée of SA-born man killed in Jerusalem attack". News24. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  9. ↑ Kingsley, Patrick; Noveck, Myra (21 November 2021). "Israeli Is Killed by Palestinian Near Holiest Site in Jerusalem" . The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  10. 1 2 Toameh, Khaled Abu (21 November 2021). "Who was the Islamic 'scholar' who carried out the Jerusalem attack?". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  11. ↑ Stoll, Ira (23 November 2021). "New York Times Issues a Triple Correction to Article on Deadly Jerusalem Attack". The Algemeiner . Archived from the original on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  12. 1 2 "Shooting at holy site in Jerusalem kills one and injures four". ABC News. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  13. ↑ Boxerman, Aaron (22 November 2021). "Israel arrests wife of gunman in deadly Jerusalem terror attack". Times of Israel. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  14. ↑ "Wife of Old City shooter arrested at Jordanian border". The Jerusalem Post . 22 November 2021. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  15. ↑ Tal, Amir; Salman, Abeer; Schwartz, Mike; Dahman, Ibrahim; Gemer, Shira (21 November 2021). "Hamas gunman kills one Israeli, injures four others, in Jerusalem attack; police shoot dead assailant". CNN. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  16. ↑ Ahronheim, Anna (3 January 2022). "IDF issues demolition order for home of Jerusalem terrorist". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  17. ↑ Gross, Judah Ari; Boxerman, Aaron (21 November 2021). "Hamas gunman kills 1, wounds 4 in terror shooting in Jerusalem Old City". The Times of Israel . Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  18. ↑ Cheeseman, Abbie (21 November 2022). "Hamas operative kills civilian in sub machine-gun terror attack in Jerusalem's Old City". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  19. ↑ "Jerusalem attack victim identified as Eliyahu David Kay". Ynetnews. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  20. ↑ "US State Department condemns Jerusalem terror attack". The Jerusalem Post . 22 November 2021. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.