A Bus in Jerusalem, A Mirror to Gaza: How Violence on a Driver Echoes a Nation’s War

Watan-They kicked him. They beat him. They threw objects at him. He was bleeding, helpless, and sprawled on the bus floor when the crowd surrounded him. Some shouted. Others stayed silent. A few looked concerned.

What happened to the Arab bus drivers in Jerusalem this past weekend was not an isolated lynching. It was a condensed replica — a chilling microcosm — of what Israel has done to Gaza for the past twenty months. A smaller version, but disturbingly similar. Ironically, this local act of brutality in Israel sparked more visible outrage than the broader, ongoing devastation in Gaza. Yet the war is even more ruthless than the lynching.

Beitar Jerusalem football fans have never needed a reason to assault an Arab driver — but this time, they found one. Zahy Ahmad, an Arab player like the drivers, dared to score the winning goal in the Israeli Cup final, securing victory for Hapoel Be’er Sheva against Beitar.

From the Stadium to the Streets: How Racist Rage Turned a Football Goal into a Call for Violence

To Beitar fans, an Arab scoring in a Cup final was akin to another October 7th — an intolerable provocation. Just like after that date, retaliation was deemed necessary. In their eyes, the league should have long been cleansed of Arabs. The audacity of an Arab triumphing over a Jewish team — and in the final, no less — demanded revenge. And revenge came swiftly, on bus line 505.

If you were shocked by their attack on an Arab man, why weren’t you equally shocked by the war? The beating on the bus is a painfully precise reflection of what’s happening in Gaza. Both acts of violence were rationalized by a supposed “trigger.” Of course, there’s no real comparison between the horrors of October 7 and a football goal — nor between a wounded driver and a thousand dead infants. But to “La Familia” — Beitar’s notorious fan base — one goal by an Arab foot is a national affront, a crime that must be punished.

The parallels only deepen from here. In both cases, the responses were wildly disproportionate. Justifying Israel’s war in Gaza as “the most justified war ever” is no different from saying Beitar fans had a reason to beat a bus driver. The connection between that driver and Beitar’s loss is as nonsensical as linking Gaza’s children to October 7.

Claiming the war is to rescue hostages or defeat Hamas is as baseless as claiming the lynching would prevent future Arab goals. Beitar fans believed they could “deter” future humiliation through violence. Israel thinks genocide will “deter” Gaza. The thirst for vengeance is the same.

Lynching in Jerusalem, Bombing in Gaza: A Mirror of Brutality and Silence

In both cases, there are no brakes — not legal, not moral. The beating lacked mercy, just like the bombing lacks mercy. The majority of victims are innocent. The imbalance of power is identical: dozens of attackers against one man — just like one of the world’s most heavily armed militaries versus a population with nowhere to run. Gaza is being lynched. Bombed while bleeding, starved, and sick — like a man kicked while bleeding on the ground.

This wasn’t the first lynching of Arab drivers in Jerusalem, and it won’t be the last. According to the drivers’ union, at least two such assaults occur every day in the city. Just like Gaza’s assault is neither the first nor the last. The public surrounds the scene, shouting or standing by. We can’t tell if they’re shocked or thrilled. No one steps in.

Not one good man in fascist Jerusalem. The chant echoing in the background says it all: “May your village burn.”

The drivers won’t recover soon, if ever. It’s unlikely they’ll feel safe transporting people in this city again. And Gaza? Gaza will never recover. It will remain in eternal trauma from what Israel has done.

Look at the lynching in Jerusalem, and you’ll see Israel. Look at the passive crowd and you’ll see us.