Palestinians stone Israeli car, which crashes, as Jerusalem seethes

Reuters
Updated ·2 min read
An Israeli policeman holds his weapon as he stands in front of an injured Israeli driver moments after witnesses said his car crashed into a Palestinian on a pavement during stone-throwing clashes near Lion's Gate just outside Jerusalem's Old City

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - On a busy street outside Jerusalem's walled Old City on Monday, a group of Palestinians pelted an Israeli car with rocks in a moment of violence captured on CCTV video.

When it was over, the driver stood, an improvised bandage on his head and blood on his shirt, next to his wrecked car, guarded by a policeman with his pistol drawn. One of the attackers, who was hit by the vehicle, had already limped away.

Palestinians accused the motorist of a deliberate ramming. Police say the driver lost control of the car.

The incident took place as hundreds of Palestinians clashed with Israeli police outside al-Aqsa mosque in the Old City in violence that coincided with Jerusalem Day, when Israel celebrates its capture of East Jerusalem in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said more than 275 Palestinians were injured in the general violence. Police said 12 officers were hurt.

The CCTV footage, which police released on Twitter, began with Palestinians milling around slow-moving traffic, apparently trying to spot Israeli drivers, and then converging on a white car.

One of the Palestinians briefly opened a door of the vehicle as it backed away, rocks pelting its bonnet.

The car then swerved back into the junction, striking one of the stone-throwers, throwing him backwards, and pinioning itself on a pavement barricade, the CCTV video showed.

Several Palestinians rushed up to lob rocks at the driver and a passenger, who could be seen gesticulating through the window. The stone-thrower struck by the vehicle quickly got to his feet and limped off, helped by other Palestinians.

Twenty-five seconds after the collision, an Israeli police officer arrived and fired his pistol in the air to disperse the crowd.

"Move back! Move back!" the policeman ordered, pointing his gun, while also appearing to warn the driver, who spat at the Palestinians, to stay next to the wrecked car.

"If you don't want trouble, get him out of here," a male voice can be heard responding.

Interviewed on Israel's N12 news site, the driver said: "We tried to flee and our car ended up almost overturning."

Police said he and a passenger were lightly hurt in the incident.

(Writing by Dan Williams, Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Angus MacSwan)