2021 Jerusalem shooting

2021 Jerusalem shooting
Part of the Gaza-Israel conflict
Video released by Israeli police
Location	Jerusalem
Date	21 November 2021 (3 years ago)
Weapon	Carlo-type submachine gun[1]
Deaths	1 victim, 1 perpetrator
Injured	4 victims
Perpetrator	Fadi Abu Shkhaydam
Motive	Palestinian nationalism[2]

On 21 November 2021, a shooting took place in the Old City of Jerusalem. Fadi Abu Shkhaydem, a 42-year-old Palestinian from East Jerusalem^[3] killed a 26 year old Israeli,^[4] who had made aliyah from South Africa in 2019.^[5][6] He injured four others (including a rabbi)^[3] before being shot dead by police.^[7]

The shooting started as the targets were making their way to prayer.^[8] Israeli authorities recorded that Abu Shkhaydem shot the tour guide multiple times,^[9] and was later pronounced dead at the Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem. The gunman also wounded a rabbi and seriously injured a yeshiva student. Policemen quickly responded by firing at the shooter, killing him. Two of the police officers sustained mild injuries.^[3][8]

Perpetrator

The gunman, Fadi Abu Shkhaydem, was a high school teacher at the Rashidiya school^[10] from the Shuafat neighbourhood of Jerusalem.^[11][12] He was widely known to be a Hamas member and regularly preached sermons at the Temple Mount, in addition to taking part in demonstrations against Israeli tourism in the area.^[10]

His wife, who had gone to Jordan three days before to visit her sick mother,^[13] was arrested the next day at Allenby Bridge.^[14] A police report said he that was most likely politically motivated by "nationalist reasons".^[15] In January 2022 the Abu Shkhaydem's house was given a demolition order as part of a general Israeli policy.^[16]

Aftermath

The Temple Mount was closed to visitors immediately following the shooting attack. Later that day, Hamas confirmed that the attacker was a member of their group and hailed the attack as a "heroic operation". This was the second attack in Jerusalem's Old City in four days, and the first Israeli civilian casualty since the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis.^[17][18]

Many Israeli authorities and organizations condemned the attack, including Isaac Herzog, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, and Naftali Bennett.^[19]

The following day, France and the United States Department of State both released a condemnation of the shooting.^[20] Dimiter Tzantchev also condemned the attack as "senseless".^[12]

References

1. "Jerusalem: Shooting near holy site leaves 1 dead". Deutsche Welle.
2. Amir Tal, Abeer Salman, Mike Schwartz, Ibrahim Dahman and Shira Gemer (21 November 2021). "Hamas gunman kills one Israeli, injures four others, in Jerusalem attack; police shoot dead assailant". CNN.
3. "Rabbi injured in Jerusalem shooting attack hails 'miracle' from hospital bed". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
4. Kingsley, Patrick; Noveck, Myra (21 November 2021). "Israeli Is Killed by Palestinian Near Holiest Site in Jerusalem". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
5. Maltz, Judy; Rabinowitz, Aaron; Hasson, Nir (21 November 2021). "South African Immigrant, 25, Is Victim in Jerusalem Shooting Attack". Haaretz. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
6. "Thousands of mourners gather for funeral of terror victim Eli Kay". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
7. Zion, Ilan Ben (21 November 2021). "Hamas gunman kills 1 before Israeli police shoot him dead". AP NEWS. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
8. McCain, Nicole (22 November 2021). "'He treated everyone with love and respect' - fiancée of SA-born man killed in Jerusalem attack". News24. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
9. Kingsley, Patrick; Noveck, Myra (21 November 2021). "Israeli Is Killed by Palestinian Near Holiest Site in Jerusalem". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
10. Toameh, Khaled Abu (21 November 2021). "Who was the Islamic 'scholar' who carried out the Jerusalem attack?". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
11. Stoll, Ira (23 November 2021). "New York Times Issues a Triple Correction to Article on Deadly Jerusalem Attack". The Algemeiner. Archived from the original on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
12. "Shooting at holy site in Jerusalem kills one and injures four". ABC News. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
13. Boxerman, Aaron (22 November 2021). "Israel arrests wife of gunman in deadly Jerusalem terror attack". Times of Israel. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
14. "Wife of Old City shooter arrested at Jordanian border". The Jerusalem Post. 22 November 2021. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
15. Tal, Amir; Salman, Abeer; Schwartz, Mike; Dahman, Ibrahim; Gemer, Shira (21 November 2021). "Hamas gunman kills one Israeli, injures four others, in Jerusalem attack; police shoot dead assailant". CNN. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
16. Ahronheim, Anna (3 January 2022). "IDF issues demolition order for home of Jerusalem terrorist". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
17. Gross, Judah Ari; Boxerman, Aaron (21 November 2021). "Hamas gunman kills 1, wounds 4 in terror shooting in Jerusalem Old City". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
18. Cheeseman, Abbie (21 November 2022). "Hamas operative kills civilian in sub machine-gun terror attack in Jerusalem's Old City". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
19. "Jerusalem attack victim identified as Eliyahu David Kay". Ynetnews. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
20. "US State Department condemns Jerusalem terror attack". The Jerusalem Post. 22 November 2021. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.