For truck driver Elad Ezer the story ends well, for he was saved from the attempted carjacking of his vehicle by Arabs on Thursday, 8 Tammuz 5772. He explains that 3-4 Arabs tried to get him and make off with his truck. “I understood it is me or them”, leading him to act as he did.

The number of attempted carjackings throughout Yehuda and Shomron has increased sharply during recent weeks, including one successful case and a second in which the intended victim shot and killed the attackers.

One female was hurled from her vehicle in the Har Gilo area on June 3, 2012, and another attempt near Tekoa two days later.

The Shin Bet has announced that the attempts are not just terrorists going after a vehicle, but in some cases they are certain the attackers planned to abduct the female driver to use her as a negotiating pawn towards obtaining the release of terrorists imprisoned by Israel.

In this case, Erez was traveling on Thursday afternoon near Yishuv Neria in the Talmonim region of the Binyamin Regional Council district of Shomron.

“I was traveling from Beit Aryeh to Naale when I got to the hill and was forced to drive slower with my truck” Erez explains. He explained that while climbing the hill he pulls to the right, onto the shoulder, permitting vehicles to pass.

“At some point a vehicle passed and then began driving very slow in front of me, compelling me to slow down even more than I was driving. I saw 3 or 4 Arabs in that vehicle, and they were turning around checking me out. I understood that they are planning something that involves compelling me to stop the truck.

“I phoned my employer and explained while they drove slower and slower, seeking to pull me over to the side. I was about to hit the car since we were traveling at such a slow speed. They continued trying to stop me until they saw a military jeep and they took a sharp right into an Arab village and made their escape” Erez explains.

By the time he arrived at Neria, police, the IDF and the community security officer had been alerted and they greeted him. He described what had taken place and how he was certain it was an attempted attack of robbery. “From my part, I would have run them over since it was me or them. Baruch Hashem it ended this way” he concluded.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)