The bus driver who was attacked, sat behind the wheel: "We could have rolled over people on the street"

"I lost consciousness - and woke up in an ambulance": this is how Khaled Awaisha, a driver for the "Beit Shemesh Express" bus company, who was attacked on Sunday by a passenger who demanded to get off not at a stop, told his story. "I explained to the passenger that it was not possible to get off, I cannot take a risk with his life. He spat on me and punched me."

The difficult incident occurred on Sunday morning, when, according to the suspicion, a resident of Beitar Illit violently attacked the 50-year-old Awaisha - only because he was following safety procedures. He was arrested about a day later, and the legal department of the Public Transport Drivers Organization filed a complaint against him. Awaisha was hospitalized at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem and released home while still suffering from bruises and severe pain in his upper body, face, head, and shoulder.

In a conversation with ynet, he reconstructed the sequence of events: "I left at 09:20 in the morning from Ramat D and arrived at Naharei HaYarden Street. I stopped at the stop and opened the doors and no one got on. Only after I closed the doors and started driving did he remember that he wanted to get off. I explained to him that it was impossible. I cannot take a risk with his life on the street. It is a danger to his life and a complication for me. I told him 'I care about you, I will let you off at the next stop'. These are procedures we go through training for."

After that, he said, the suspect spat on him and demanded again to get off the bus. "He opened the driver's cabin door and punched me in the face, behind the partition. He probably had a metal object in his hand because I received a very strong blow. I turned to the phone to call the police and heard him calling his friends. I turned back to the phone and took a barrage of blows to the head. I lost consciousness in the driver's seat, I only woke up in the ambulance. I have swelling on my head, face, and neck, and severe pain in my right hand and shoulder. Luckily, at the first blow he gave me, I already pulled the handbrake. If I hadn't pulled it, the bus would have remained released while I was unconscious. It could have rolled and, God forbid, run over people on the street. A heavy disaster would have happened."

According to him, "In this area there is road work, full of stones and tractors. What did he risk his life for? For another minute or two? In my opinion, this is simply racism. They saw an Arab driver and targeted me. A polite person would not spit on a 50-year-old person, a person who could be his father. You want to get off? Speak in a nice and kind way. I am looking out for you, caring for you and your life and not stopping you on purpose. You attack?"

Awaisha is a veteran and experienced driver, and said that "in the places I worked, there was no such thing in life. I have no other profession, I will not leave, but if and when I am able to return to driving, I will put protection on myself and be with ten eyes open. Today I am standing on my feet but who knows what will happen tomorrow. There is no reason for me to get into trouble or abandon my children at home."

He also asked to convey a sharp message: "To all drivers, be with ten eyes open. The moment a driver feels a percentage of danger - turn off the engine and get off the bus. It is better to go home because no one will support our children if something happens to us. To the passengers, we came to the role to provide good service. Respect us. I try to provide the best service. When an elderly person gets on, I don't dare to move the bus until he sits down. We ask for the minimum, mutual respect."

But despite his request, the attack is only one event in the rising wave of violence against drivers. The Public Transport Drivers Organization of the National Histadrut revealed the violence index data for the past month: 52 cases of severe violence against drivers were recorded in August 2026 - the highest figure measured since the index was established more than six years ago. Compared to August last year, this is a dramatic increase of more than 13%. Just in the last two weeks, a "Kavim" company driver was attacked on night line 230, and in Ramat Gan, a driver was stabbed by teenagers. Two other severe violence cases were not approved for publication by the victims.

The Public Transport Drivers Organization stated: "Again we are crying out about the rising violence against drivers. It is time to immediately expand the public transport security units to the whole country. Unfortunately, the day a driver is murdered is closer than ever."