A series of terrorist acts against Israelis on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Six-Day War left a young border policeman seriously injured and several cars burned out by an arsonist in Jerusalem.
The police officer, 20-year-old Shimon Hayoun, was attacked from behind in Bethlehem’s Manger Square on Thursday. He suffered deep stab wounds in his neck, just above his protective vest.
His assailant, fatally wounded by another policeman, was identified as Jawad Ja’abary, 28.
It was a close call for Hayoun, who was hospitalized for surgery Thursday night. The knife barely missed his spinal cord, doctors said.
Meanwhile, four cars were set on fire in the Baka neighborhood of western Jerusalem. The arsonist inscribed the word “Hamas” nearby. Hamas is the Moslem fundamentalist group responsible for much of the intifada violence in recent years.
Police say 15 cars have been torched in the past three weeks, all in neighborhoods bordering East Jerusalem.
REMINDER: The JTA Daily News Bulletin will not be published on Monday, June 8.
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