Yigal, a taxi driver in Jerusalem, risked his life to rescue an elderly passenger during a deadly terror attack at Jerusalem's busy Ramot Junction that killed six people on Monday.
Caught in heavy traffic near the central bus station, Yigal found himself in the midst of the attack. “The traffic was insane, something unusual,” he recalled.
Footage of the taxi driver saving an elderly woman during the attack
(Video: from social media)
“I was stuck behind a bus with nowhere to go. Then I heard gunfire and realized something was happening.” Instead of fleeing, he stepped out to help his passenger, an elderly woman in her 80s, saying, “This isn’t heroism. Any taxi driver should do this.”
Yigal described the chaotic scene, explaining how he moved the woman, who was in a hurry, about a few dozen feet to safety behind a corner. “I heard a bullet whistle over my head, but I couldn’t tell where it came from. The shooting was from all directions,” he said.
He witnessed three security guards from the nearby station leap over a fence, engaging the terrorists in a firefight. Despite the danger, Yigal downplayed his actions, saying, “I’m no hero. I did what needed to be done. Now my daughters won’t stop calling me. I’m back at work—I’m an ordinary guy who has to make a living.”
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Yigal, a Jerusalem taxi driver, escorts an elderly passenger from his cab during the terrorist attack at Ramot Junction
(Photo: from social media)
President Isaac Herzog called Yigal to commend his bravery, saying, “I’m moved to speak with you, dear Yigal. You’re a true example of civilian heroism. I saw the video and said, ‘Get me Yigal!’ You bring immense pride to Israel.”
Yigal responded humbly, telling Herzog, “I don’t see this as heroism. Any taxi driver in that situation should act this way. There was an elderly passenger—I had to get her out of there.”
Initial reports to the Magen David Adom emergency medical service painted a grim picture. A witness told the dispatcher, “There are dozens of wounded. At least six people are lying on the ground. It’s a terror attack. Two terrorists are dead. Eight wounded, all from gunfire.”