Israeli Police were out in force Tuesday evening throughout the country as their brethren were in synagogues, beginning a 25-hour marathon of fasting, introspection and prayer. Jewish police officers were joined by those of Druze, Bedouin and Christian Arab heritage, patrolling all areas where danger might lurk.
In Jerusalem, approximately an hour after candle-lighting and shortly after the start of Yom Kippur, a Palestinian Authority terrorist attempted to stab a Jewish man near the Damascus Gate entrance to the Old City. Israel Police said they shot and killed the terrorist who attacked the Jewish worshiper, and then charged at them as well.
“A police unit at the spot neutralized the suspect,” Israel Police said in a statement following the incident. The attacker allegedly knocked his intended victim to the ground, and according to police then “continued running toward the police officers while waving a sharp object and trying to harm them.”
Police added that the “widespread deployment of police in Jerusalem and their alertness” were responsible for preventing an attack “that could have ended with harsh results.”