Mickey Ruhani fought a terrorist using an umbrella‏. – Photo: AVSHALOM SHOSHANI

In a terrorist attack that happened on Tuesday morning on Malkei Israel Street in the haredi neighborhood of Geula in Jerusalem, a Palestinian terrorist drove his vehicle into a group of several people waiting at a bus stop. He then exited his car with a meat cleaver and began attacking the wounded and others with the implement.

Matan Chocron, a bystander who was on the way to pick up his suit for an upcoming wedding, managed to subdue the terrorist using pepper spray and a selfie stick.

Also on Tuesday morning, a 22-year-old male terrorist from east Jerusalem approached a bus stop in Ra’anana outside of city hall and stabbed a 32-year-old man in his neck and stomach.

Mickey Ruhani was standing at the bus stop when the terrorist attacked. Ruhani quickly rushed into the scene and began to hit the terrorist with an umbrella until the terrorist was subdued.

“I heard a woman screaming hysterically, and without thinking too much, I took my umbrella, because I didn’t have a weapon, and began to hit the terrorist,” said Ruhani.

MDA paramedics transported the lightly wounded victim to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba. The terrorist was also transported to the hospital with light-to-moderate wounds he received from the umbrella.

On Monday night near the Chords Bridge in Jerusalem a Palestinian man on an Egged bus stabbed an IDF soldier and attempted to steal his weapon. Seeing the commotion from outside, Yair Ben Shabbat, an ordinary citizen, jumped onto the bus and attacked the terrorist using a pair of nunchucks he had on his person.

Yair Ben-Shabat – Twitter screenshot

“I wasn’t riding the bus but I saw what was happening from outside and I noticed there was a lot of commotion on the bus,” said Ben Shabbat. “I saw a soldier with his gun around his neck and a terrorist trying to steal it from him.”

The soldier was taken to the hospital where he was listed as lightly wounded.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan held consultations on Tuesday to determine a number of immediate steps to deal with the terror wave, and also making it easier for civilians to receive gun permits.

In Israel firearms licenses are typically only given if one can prove they have reason to carry a gun – for instance if they work in security or law enforcement or live in a dangerous area like the West Bank. They must also be over 21 years old, a resident of Israel for over three years, and pass a mental and physical exam, a shooting test, and background checks by the Public Security Ministry. They are then allowed to order a gun through a gun store with approval of the ministry and given a one-time supply of 50 bullets to take home.

Additionally, in a statement made in the aftermath of the two Jerusalem terror attacks on Tuesday, Mayor Nir Barkat beseeched citizens not to take the law into their own hands and to allow security forces to do their jobs.

Daniel K. Eisenbud and Ben Hartman contributed to this report.

View original The Jerusalem Post publication at:
http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Ordinary-citizens-become-heroes-using-everyday-objects-to-fight-off-terrorism-423819