An Israeli man was almost murdered by a Sudanese Muslim man who beat and tried to strangle him on a flight from Chad to Ethiopia on Thursday last week, reported Ynet News.
The attempted in-flight murder of the Israeli man is the latest incarnation of a war being waged against Israelis by Muslim extremists whose tactic is close-quarter attacks with knives, guns and cars. Numerous Israelis in recent months have been stabbed, shot or run down by lone Muslims while out and about in public.
The victim of the airplane attack, a man named Arik, 54, told Ynet:
“”About 20 minutes before the plane started its descent the passenger sitting behind me identified me as Israeli and Jewish,” Arik told Ynet.
“”He came up behind my seat and started to choke me with a lot of force,” he continued, “and at first I couldn’t get my voice out and call for help.
“”He hit me over the head with a metal tray and shouted ‘Allah akbar’ and ‘I will slaughter the Jew.’ Only after a few seconds, just before I was about to lose consciousness, did I manage to call out and a flight attendant who saw what was happening summoned her colleagues,” Arik added.”
Arik says he was told that after his attacker was subdued the man tried to talk the other passengers in to killing Arik. The attacker was arrested by Ethiopia when the plane landed.