Survivor of Old City Lynch Recalls: "I Was Sure This Was the Last Night of My Life"

Yahya Jardi, a shuttle driver in his fifties, will never forget that night when he was brutally attacked in a lynching that shocked Israel.

It was at the beginning of the violent riots that swept the country before the 'Guardian of the Walls' mission. Jardi, an experienced shuttle driver unaware of the unfolding events, arrived at Damascus Gate, a volatile area bustling with hostile Muslim youths looking to harm Jews. He realized the tension only upon reaching the Old City surroundings, and by then, there was no turning back. He became a target for the Arab rioters, who, by a miracle, did not succeed in taking his life.

Jardi, who immigrated from Yemen 18 years ago, recalls that difficult day. "It was the hardest night of my life, but also one full of miracles." He came to Damascus Gate after a long workday: "The company I worked for asked me to transport soldiers from the north to Hebron and wait for them for a few hours before bringing them back. I agreed to the trip and began my day as usual with the Shacharit prayer at the earliest minyan in my neighborhood synagogue, without any sense of impending disaster. After the prayer, I headed north, picked up the soldiers, and took them to Hebron. During my stay in Hebron, I decided to take advantage of the proximity to the remains of the Holy Temple and pray the Maariv prayer at the Western Wall. If only I knew the outcome of that trip," he sighs.

Yahya Jardi

Stop at the Wall

During that period, the large uprising of Israeli Arabs began during 'Guardian of the Walls.' It started in Jerusalem, with city Arabs rioting and targeting Jews. The catalyst was events in Sheikh Jarrah, where a legal battle over lands was taking place between Jews and Arabs, and police barriers were placed at Damascus Gate to maintain public order, angering the youths.

Jardi, as noted, was unaware. "I had no information, and remember," he adds, "these events were only beginning, so I, who am not very involved in news events, knew nothing." Yet this lack of knowledge nearly led to disaster.

After delivering the soldiers to Hebron, Jardi headed to Jerusalem. "In Jerusalem, my car awaited me after repairs, and my goal was to reach the Western Wall." For a moment, Jardi toys with the thought: what if he had decided to travel by bus instead of his car, "but I have no doubt that it was divine providence that led me there, and there was nothing that could have stopped the rioters," he quickly emphasizes.

Jardi reached Jerusalem and set off in his car towards the Western Wall. "The GPS led me through Wadi Joz. I couldn't imagine, even in my worst nightmares, that I was heading into a trap," he laments. The emigrant's utter lack of knowledge vanished as he reached Damascus Gate's outskirts, shocked to find multitudes of youths waiting on the street before him. He quickly understood that these youths weren't there by chance but filled with rage and planning to harm Jews passing by. "I realized the difficult situation amidst the traffic jam around Damascus Gate. At first glance, it seemed like the end, as if I was heading towards a "slaughter without a blessing," he quips darkly, "but I still hoped that despite the tense situation, I could quickly get past the rioters and escape." Those hopes vanished as the familiar traffic jam persisted around the Old City.

(Illustrative photo: Flash 90)

Jardi fell into a well-planned trap. "They quickly identified my car and my Jewish appearance, and frankly, they didn't have to try hard to recognize my Jewish visage, and as soon as they saw it, they began throwing stones at me. These were large rocks thrown with force. I tried to drive on despite the hail of stones, attempting to escape somehow, but the traffic jam slowed me, forcing a complete stop. At this point, the stone throwing increased in intensity, and if initially only hitting the rear of the car, quickly reached the windshield, with one stone even striking my head." The rock caused a significant head injury, and he became dizzy from the impact, diminishing his chances of escape via driving significantly.

The rioters exploited the traffic jam and Jardi's reduced ability to navigate to close in on his car. Some opened the car doors, and in a desperate move, Jardi decided to flee. "In those horrific moments, I realized I was exposed to grave danger outside the car, but I took my chances, understanding my options were limited." Yechiel fled his vehicle, running to escape while he still could. "I attempted to bypass the many rioters surrounding me, but they were numerous and faster," he recalls with a shiver.

Traffic Amongst Rioters

The seasoned driver quickly realized the rioters did not intend to let him escape. "They attacked me with furious anger, beating me all over my body, knocking me to the ground with force." From those moments, a brutal and shocking lynching ensued. The Jew who immigrated with his family from Yemen to Israel to be with his Jewish brethren - endured a harsh and savage attack in the Jewish homeland simply for his Jewish identity.

The footage published afterward of the event clearly illustrates what Jardi endured. In the footage, the Arab youths are seen beating Jardi while he tries to protect his head with one hand. The shuttle driver doesn't remember much of the event. "I was sure I wouldn't survive," he recalls in our conversation. "They were armed with iron rods, and some even wielded motorcycle helmets, using them to beat me brutally. There I lay on the ground - one against the crowd, and they beat me intensely. Rioters on motorcycles passed by me. I was sure I would end my life there, in such a harsh way," he says weakly.

Speaking Arabic, Jardi tried to communicate with his attackers. "I yelled at them: 'What did I do to you?' 'Leave me alone,' but they ignored my cries and pleas, attacking me from every side. The responses I got in Arabic were their shouts among themselves, conveying a clear intention: they meant to kill me. They shouted there: 'Kill the man,' 'Spill his blood like water.' At that moment, I had no hope of escaping the fate they planned for me."

This severe attack occurred in Israel's capital, amid thousands of people, many of whom - likely Jews themselves - stood in the long traffic jam stretching before the walls of the Old City. It was the most shocking lynch till that point since the 'Guardian of the Walls' riots erupted. The attack's result was severe. Jardi began to slowly lose consciousness. "I started vomiting blood and feeling terrible dizziness," he recalls, "believing in my heart that I would never see my family again, and began to lose consciousness." Whole parts of the incident, he admits, are erased from his mind - either due to the severe trauma or the brutal blows he received that clouded his awareness.

A Chain of Miracles

An ambulance nearby noticed the unfolding events, moving towards the battered Jew. The Arab attackers' boldness was significant, unimpressed by the Jew's condition or the arriving medics, continuing to assault Jardi even during his transfer to the hospital. Despite this, risking their own lives - the medics evacuated Jardi from the scene. By this time, he was already injured and semi-conscious, and it's hard to imagine what might have happened if the ambulance hadn't evacuated him by then.

Yossi Moalem, a United Hatzalah worker who arrived, provides insight into Jardi's dire state: "We drove to Jardi with the ambulance, receiving a man battered all over his body. It wasn't a pleasant sight, and I'm a medic experienced with many cases. He was exhausted and could barely speak to us. According to him, he left his car behind, and there was a significant sum of money left in the vehicle," Moalem recounted.

After the great miracle allowing his evacuation without the attackers' hindrance, another miracle occurred: despite the severe beating, it emerged upon reaching the hospital that despite the brutal lynching and serious blows he received, by a miracle, he survived with only minor injuries. "Luckily, I awoke shortly after arriving at the hospital," he says, "Initially, I didn't feel the pain, but later severe pain struck, which hasn't entirely left me since. Nevertheless, I thank Hashem for sparing me from death. It's no small thing, just hearing later of other Jews who went through what I did - and lost their lives in the Arab riots, unfortunately. In my case, I am dealing with challenges until now, but my life was thankfully spared," he says emotionally. Additional miracles he cites include the ambulance's proximity and the fact that within just three days, he was released from the hospital to his home.

Later, the Shin Bet arrested those responsible for attacking Jardi. A Shin Bet statement said six young Arabs were arrested on suspicion of assaulting Jardi. Among the detainees are individuals known to the security services, including Mohamed Souri, a resident of Jabal Mukaber, Wasim Sarur, also a resident of Jabal Mukaber who actively participated in the lynch, and other attackers who filmed the event and circulated it on social media.

Severe Consequences

Besides acknowledging the miracles that accompanied him, Jardi still faces considerable difficulties. The severe lynch still haunts him. These days, he is treated with medication, hoping to move past the traumatic events, yet financial devastation concerns him most following the incident. "My private car, worth 17,000 shekels, with tens of thousands invested in recent years, was completely burned during the attack. Additionally, in the car were three butcher knives I carried, a computer, and two mobile phones - worth about 10,000 shekels."

Without insurance on the car, Jardi must rely on government funds recognizing him as a terror victim. As of this interview, Jardi has seen no money from the state. "Shortly after the attack, two state-appointed appraisers came to my home, one to assess the car's value and the other to evaluate the property inside, but unfortunately, I found that it will be very challenging to receive compensation from the state." The well-known Israeli bureaucracy adds to Jardi's trouble, as he struggles to properly proceed with government entities. Without even a fax machine at home, he's racing against time to start receiving payments from the state while depleting his meager savings reserved for other times.

Jardi's financial situation is especially dire because he cannot return to work as before. "The dizziness attacks me constantly, preventing me from working," he painfully states. "The severe pains that initially afflicted me have subsided, but I still feel pain all over, including severe dizziness, making it impossible to work." Jardi, who has had to travel between his home and the clinic since the attack, recounts a brief trip made to refuel a bus; during which dizziness struck, causing him to collide the bus with another vehicle. "The current state doesn't allow me to work, and sadly, I must rely on savings, which are dwindling."

The difficult circumstances he faces led him to entertain the thought of returning to Yemen. "Despite loving the land, I seriously considered returning to Yemen, but it turns out the situation in my homeland is not simple." These days, fierce battles occur in Yemeni cities between Saudi-led Arab coalition forces and Houthi rebels supported by Iran, persecuting the remaining Jews in their control. "I realized returning to Yemen now would be dangerous, but I still hope and yearn for state assistance here. After all, this is the Jewish state - not Yemen," he quickly affirms.