A terror attack this morning carried out in Haifa’s bus terminal left a 70 year old man dead and four others wounded.
Yitro Shahin, a Druze Israeli who is said to have also held German citizenship appears to have been radicalized aborad before returning to Israel. He attacked multiple bystanders with a knife before being shot by police and civilians. While it is surprising the attacker was a Druze since they are considered extremely loyal to Israel, many younger Druze have begun to be radicalized by Muslims living around them.
Shfar’am Mayor Nahad Hazem, a Druze stated “It is a heinous crime, and I completely condemn it.” Two of the injured were also Druze.
MK Hamed Amar, a Druze lawmaker from the right-wing Yisrael Beytenu party said the attack did not represent the Druze community in Israel, which is largely integrated into society.
He described the suspected assailant as a “terrorist with German citizenship who was born and lived in Germany.”
“Such an act of terrorism is contrary to every moral and human value and certainly does not reflect the loyal spirit of the Druze community in Israel, which is a full partner in defending the state and its values,” said Amar, a resident of Shfar’am.
The attack may cause many to question the Druze, but the reality is most of the victims of the attack were Druze and it is clear that the attacker, while having Druze origins, was probably radicalized and converted to Islam in Germany.