Jerusalem Rabbi Attacked While Visiting Family of Slain Autistic Man

JERUSALEM, Israel – Former Knesset member Rabbi Yehuda Glick was assaulted Thursday evening while visiting the grieving family of an unarmed autistic Palestinian man who was shot dead by Israeli police last Friday.

Glick, who has long fought to bring Jewish prayer back to the Temple Mount, said he wanted to visit Iyad Halak’s family to give his condolences for his death.

“I went in the name of people who want peace, a gesture of goodwill,” Glick told Israel’s Channel 13 News. “When I entered the home and presented myself to the mourners, around ten people suddenly grabbed me, lifted me up, and threw me down a flight and a half of stairs.”

Glick was beaten by multiple people before a relative of the slain Palestinian man intervened.  The rabbi was taken to the hospital with light injuries. He has since been released and police arrested a suspect allegedly involved in the attack.

“What I went through yesterday in Jerusalem was a murderous lynch. In fact, it concluded with a miracle. Just miraculously I am alive right now,” Glick said in a video posted online. He said if his assailants would have been armed he would not be alive.

STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FREE CBN NEWS APP! 
Click Here Get the App with Special Alerts on Breaking News and Live Events!

Glick thanks God for saving his life from another “assassination attempt.”

He is referring to a 2014 assassination attempt in which he was gravely wounded. An attacker approached him and shot him point-blank as he was leaving an event in Jerusalem promoting Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount. 

Glick said he will continue praying for peace in Jerusalem.

Halak’s death received widespread condemnation across Israel. He was walking to a special needs school in Jerusalem when Israeli border police accused him of having a gun.

Halak, who is severely disabled, reportedly did not understand the police and ran away and hid in fear. A caregiver who accompanied Halak told Israeli media on Sunday that she tried telling officers he was “disabled” and could not comprehend their orders to stop, but they ignored her.

Israeli police pursued the Palestinian man and shot him multiple times, killing him. Halak did not have a gun.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz apologized for Halak’s death and one of the officers involved is confined to house arrest. A second was released from police custody but placed under restrictive conditions as the investigation continues.

Jerusalem’s Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Aryeh Stern visited Halak’s family, along with other leaders from the Jerusalem Municipality.

The rabbi said he was warmly received by the family and stressed “all humans are created in the Divine image.”

Halak’s father reportedly told the rabbi and the Jerusalem leaders “we all want to live in peace.”

Public Security Minister Amir Ohana on Wednesday called for police officers to be trained to identify people with disabilities to prevent further deaths.

“This is a poor guy, a poor family. I am not passing judgment [on the officers], but this family deserves a hug,” Ohana said.

“We need to check how to quickly identify people with disabilities. Perhaps there are nuances that can be learned to prevent this sort of incident from repeating itself,” he added.

We encourage readers who wish to comment on our material to do so through our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram accounts. God bless you and keep you in His truth.