Two people were killed HY”D and others wounded in a shooting attack in a Dizengoff Street pub in Tel Aviv on January 1, 2016. The terrorist, Nashat Melhem, 28, also murdered an Israeli Arab taxi driver who drove him from the Dizengoff area as he was making his getaway. The manhunt to apprehend Melhem lasted for days until police shot and killed the fugitive terrorist as they tried to arrest him in northern Israel, but he fired at officers.

Now the questions many are asking is why Israel Police did not act on witness statements during the time the manhunt was taking place. Israel Radio reported that Noa and Ofir were on a bus after the attack and reported to police they saw Nashat on the bus as he was making his way back to Arara, in the Nachal I’ron (Wadi Ara) area of northern Israel. The report states that only after correspondent Carmella Menashe made an issue of this did police decide to begin probing the legitimacy of the statements from the sisters. Until Menashe began making noise, the statements from the sisters were ignored by all police personnel they spoke with.

They sisters told police that they got onto the bus at 15:10 on the afternoon of the attack, an 826 bus heading north and the suspicious man got on a few stops later, sitting near them. They reported noticing he had a blood stain on his garment, strange glasses and carrying a suspicious backpack. The sisters were aware the attack occurred in the pub but they did not know the body of a taxi driver was discovered in northern Tel Aviv.

Acting appropriately the two approached the bus driver, suggesting he remove the man from the bus and when they told him “We are scared”, the driver responded “I am scarier”. When Nashat got off the bus in the Herzliya area, the driver even told him where to get the bus to Nachal I’ron in response to his inquiry. This too did not seem to alarm anyone, despite the news reports that included his photo, age and place of residence, Nachal I’ron.

That same evening, after seeing the photo on the news the girls realized their suspicions were justified and they called police. They were told investigators would contact them, but his never occurred.

Being a responsible person, Ofir called again a few days later and was given a different number to call. She was then told her information was irrelevant to the case. The following day Noa called again, and she too was told if her information is deemed relevant, someone would contact her. This never occurred.

Ultimately, B’chasdei Hashem the heinous terrorist was found and even eliminated before he could strike again.

In a related matter, three cousins of the terrorists and a friend were indicted this week for allegedly assisting Nashat in his plot. Indictments were handed down against Amin Melhem, 23, Muhammad Melhem, 22, and Ayoub Salama Rashid, 22, all from the Nachal I’ron area.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)