Ahmed Muhammad, 24, from Hawara, who spat on a retired captain on a bus in Ramat Gan on Sunday, admitted last night during his interrogation that he was indeed the one who committed the act.
Don't miss: The big raffle for a Torah scroll and prizes worth 150,000 NIS
So far, he has denied, despite the documentation and despite turning himself in, that he was the spitter.
He said, "I was nervous and angry at the officer who got up on the bus and moved.".
Today (Thursday) he will be brought again to extend his detention at the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court on suspicion of simple assault, assault on a public employee, and illegal residence in Israel.
Yesterday, the Commissioner of the Prison Service, Lieutenant Colonel Kobi Yaakovi, ordered that the spitter be classified as a security prisoner - even though he was a detainee being investigated for criminal offenses. In accordance with the directive, the suspect's conditions of imprisonment were changed, and he was transferred from a criminal prison to a security detention facility.
The officer told the same day about what happened: "At the beginning of the trip, I was sitting next to the guy who was listening to videos at high volume. I decided to get up and move. A stop before I got off, he was standing over my head, and suddenly I felt a 'slap' on the cheek.
""It was clear to me that it was spitting. I got off at the next stop and called the police. They took my complaint seriously and played back a video from the bus in which you can see him spitting on me. The spitting is not just about me, it is spitting on the IDF uniform, on what represents the State of Israel. It is imperative to reach him, so that others understand that you don't spit on soldiers or civilians. I would be happy for him to be dealt with and punished severely.
""Thank you, it ended in a spat. This is violence and assault for everything, it could have ended in a physical assault. It is important that he stands trial, that others are deterred from doing it again. I will continue to serve in the reserves as long as the army requires and needs me. It is important that soldiers are proud of the uniforms they wear and are also safe.".
Join the Haredim 10 Facebook page >>
Join the X page of Haredim 10 >>
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
