Five Kiryat Arba city council members against east Jerusalem drivers
Five members of the Kiryat Arba city council write and sign a letter protesting the hiring of Arab drivers from east Jerusalem villages such as Jabel Mukaber, Isawyia and Shuafat in light of last week's terror attack.
During the weekend, five Kiryat Arba council members wrote a letter to city residents in which they claimed they did not want Arab-Israeli drivers from east Jerusalem operating bus lines.
"We were told that the new drivers of the city lines are residents of east Jerusalem and places like Jabel Mukaber, Shuafat, Silwan and others. We are afraid for our families. We unfortunately saw an example this week," they wrote referring to the terrorist attack in Jerusalem last week.
"We don't want terrorists working here," wrote Councilman Yisrael Bramson, one of the five signatories. "Our request is legitimate. When the driver is an Arab resident of east Jerusalem from a place like Jabel Mukaber or Isawiya, there are fears that he will 'accidentally' drive to Arab Hebron with our children and we don't want that to happen. After all, the terrorist who murdered the soldiers in the truck attack was carrying a blue identity card."
The letter also stated that residents of Kiryat Arba demand military service or national service as a condition to employing drivers in the city.
Head of the council Malachi Levinger takes issue with the letter and is attempting to solve the issue on behalf of residents with the Minister of Transportation.
