Why Hasn’t an Indictment Yet Been Filed Against the Driver Who Killed Yosef Eisenthal?
Months after Yosef Eisenthal was killed after being struck by a bus during a Charedi protest in Jerusalem, no indictment has yet been filed against the Arab bus driver involved in the incident.
According to a report by Channel 14, The driver was released to his home shortly after the tragedy and has remained free, after the State Prosecutor’s Office chose not to appeal his release.
Although police have completed their investigation and recommended indicting the driver on charges of causing death through indifference, the Prosecutor’s Office says the case is still under review and no final decision has yet been made.
Throughout the investigation, prosecutors opposed extending the driver’s detention, and despite the police recommendation to file charges, no indictment has yet been submitted.
According to the investigation, the bus was initially blocked by demonstrators on Yirmiyahu Street in Jerusalem.
The driver continued driving through the Yirmiyahu–Shamgar intersection until stopping on Ohel Yehoshua Street, approximately 400–500 meters away. Witness testimony indicated that the bus reached speeds of around 70–80 km/h while Yosef z”l was hanging onto the outside of the vehicle.
During the continued drive and turns made by the driver, the boy became trapped beneath the bus’s wheels and was dragged along the road. MDA paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene, while three other people suffered minor injuries.
The investigation also revealed that before the incident began, the driver called the police emergency hotline and reported that he and his passengers were being attacked by rioters.
Police noted that the incident occurred at an intersection that remained open to traffic, and the driver claimed he feared for his safety after the bus and its passengers were attacked.
