Source close to Jerusalem terrorist: It was an accident
An East Jerusalem resident close to Ja'abis family tells Ynet that suspect worked for family firm in nearby project, was 'not interested in politics.'
The source who lives in the village said that the Ja'abis family owns a company for heavy industrial equipment, including diggers. According to the source, Mohammed Naif Ja'abis worked in the family firm as an excavator operator. "He worked with the digger in a project on HaNevi'im Street where the incident occurred."
The source said Ja'abis had no connection to Hamas, Islamic Jihad, or any political faction. "This was a man who was content with a pack of cigarettes and Red Bull, he was not interested in politics." He also claimed Ja'abis came from an affluent family without any history of attacks on Israel.
"I think what happened was that he was involved in a traffic accident, and the police officers at the scene rushed to act and killed him presuming he committed a terror attack," said the source.
"It's possible that he hit the bus and their reaction caused him to panic. The digger is a heavy piece of machinery and if the person inside is panicked or stressed it could lead to unwanted results."
The source blamed the police for acting recklessly: "They could have subdued him without killing him and that way find out the truth."
The source said that atmosphere in their village was tense. "The last thing we needed in Jabel Mukaber was this type of a story, especially since this village has a history of people leaving to commit acts of terror. We don't want problems."
The incident remains under investigation.
Last week Hamas Spokesman Fauzi Barhum called for exactly such attacks: "Do you not have cars, motorcycles, knives, clubs, diggers and trucks? If you do and do not hit Jews or settlers, and do not kill dozen of Zionists - then you are not Palestinian."
On Monday, Barhum said "the attack in Jerusalem is an act of courage and an act of resistance. It is a natural reaction to the crimes of the occupation." But Barhum did not claim responsibility for the attack.
