Israel Police arrested a Baka al-Gharbiya resident in his 20s on Wednesday, after he was caught on video overtaking a patrol car on an all-terrain vehicle, flashing an obscene hand gesture, and leading officers on a brief pursuit in the Menashe subdistrict of the Coastal District.
During a proactive traffic-enforcement operation, officers from the Iron station “noticed an ATV driver moving on the road in a wild, life-endangering manner, overtaking a police patrol car dangerously and making a middle-finger gesture toward it,” the police said in a statement. “The officers immediately gave chase and stopped the suspect within a short time.” The rider was detained for questioning, and the ATV was impounded, police added.
Police later released dashboard-camera footage showing the rider speeding past the marked cruiser before officers accelerated, blocked his pat,h and made the arrest. “This arrest demonstrates our determination to act against criminal drivers who endanger the public,” the statement said, vowing continued “resolute” enforcement.
The incident comes amid heightened concern over ATV and other off-road vehicles on Israel’s roads. In May, a 16-year-old rider was moderately injured while driving an ATV in the northern West Bank, drawing renewed calls for stricter supervision of such vehicles.
Traffic fatalities remain stubbornly high nationwide. A June 2024 Jerusalem Post report noted that 218 people had already been killed in crashes since the start of that year — a 22 percent rise over the same period in 2023 and the worst toll in a decade.
Long-running police campaigns
Israel Police have periodically launched wide-scale operations to curb dangerous driving. In 2018, the force partnered with the National Road Safety Authority in “Operation Right to Life,” a campaign targeting life-threatening offenses at pedestrian crossings and other high-risk areas for reckless behavior.
Police said Wednesday’s arrest underscores their continuing effort “to safeguard public safety and security” by removing dangerous drivers from the roads. An investigation is underway to determine what criminal and traffic charges will be brought against the suspect.