One was a terrorist, the other a policeman
They were the same age, spoke the same language. But the Palestinian who killed the Israeli were worlds apart
The two men at the center of the deadly Wednesday terrorist attack in Jerusalem were similar in some ways – but worlds apart.
Both died in Jerusalem.
Ibrahim al-Akkari was a Palestinian terrorist who deliberately ran over and killed Jaddan Assad, an Israeli police commander, and wounded more than 10 others. Al-Akkari was shot dead by police when he got out of his car and started attacking other cars with an iron bar.
They were the same age, 38. Both were fathers – Assad of a three-year-old boy with a wife five-months pregnant, and al-Akkari of five children.
Both were Arabic speakers, both had strong family ties and both had links to Islam – al-Akkari was a devout Muslim, Assad a member of the Druze sect, which is an offshoot of Islam. Their families were both proud of them, and both blamed politicians for the violence in Jerusalem.
But the similarities end there.
Wanted to crown himself a martyr
"Ibrahim al-Akkari, who rammed his car into pedestrians in Jerusalem on November 5, 2014, as shown lying on the road and in a close-up photo"i24news
Al-Akkari's 16-year-old son, Hamza, told reporters at the family's home in the Shuafat refugee camp in eastern Jerusalem that he was proud of his father. "I'm not sad that he died a martyr."
One of the boy's uncles, his father's brother Moussa, was a member of the Hamas unit that murdered an Israeli border police officer in 1992. Moussa al-Akkari served almost 20 years in jail before being released in 2011 in return for an Israeli soldier held by Hamas. After his release, he was deported to Turkey.
Hamza said his last conversation with his father "was about school. He told me, 'be very attentive to school'. Today at school, a group of teachers called for me and asked me to go home. They told me that my family wanted me urgently. When I arrived home, I heard about the incident and was very happy. What's happening at al-Aqsa is something that no one can find acceptable," he told the Ynet web site, referring to a severe clash at the mosque site between Israeli police and Palestinians.
The terrorist's wife tied his actions to the events on Wednesday morning at the site: "Starting in the morning, he followed what happened in al-Aqsa and saw the blood, the wounded, the desecration and all that happened. He left home quickly and went to the site of the attack to crown himself among the martyrs and heroes."
Another brother, Dr. Mansour al-Akari, told Ynet: "The events at al-Aqsa Mosque hurt us all. It is not we who are the terrorists, but rather those who harm Muslim holy sites, and who forbid the entrance of worshipers to the mosque. We have no problem with any Jew in the world, but those who intend to harm holy places and step on our honor, must be punished.
"Al-Aqsa Mosque is for Muslims and not for (Israel's right-wing Knesset member) Moshe Feiglin. I am a schoolteacher, my students always ask me what's happening with al-Aqsa mosque, and what answer can I give? Should I tell them that the mosque became the Kotel (Hebrew for the Western wall, Judaism's holiest site)?
"The government of Israel and the Likud give a green light to harm al-Aqsa mosque," he continued. "They are responsible for everything that's going on in Jerusalem. This government is foolish. He who is interested in peace does not harm holy places."
Loved the police and Jerusalem
"Border policeman Jaddan Assad murdered in Jerusalem terror attack on Nov. 5, 2014"Courtesy Ynet
Border Patrol officer Jaddan Assad was a chief inspector in Israel's border police. He was a resident of Beit Jann, a Druze village in the Galillee, and had returned to his duties in Jerusalem on Wednesday morning after several days' leave.
His father said shortly after being informed of his son’s death: “I urge leaders to reach an agreement in order to avoid the bloodshed and avoid more casualties from all sectors – Jews, Arabs and Druze.”
He further added: “All my sons serve in the security forces; the Border Police was in his blood and soul. He loved the service and he loved Jerusalem.”
Another cousin of Assad, Ihab, said that he had heard about the attack in the afternoon, “but we had no idea it was Jaddan. We received a phone call from another cousin who serves as a border police commander in Jerusalem and he gave us the news. ..Unfortunately, our family has known its share of troubles and we lost four family members only in the past month.”
Under strict limitations imposed by Israeli police, al-Akkari was buried late at night in the presence of only 35 relatives. Jaddan is being buried at noon on Thursday, with full state honors.
