‘I had to get her out of there’ says hero cab driver who saved elderly woman from Jerusalem terror attack

Igal was driving an 85-year-old woman in his taxi on Monday morning when Palestinian terrorists opened fire near the Ramot junction.

Six people were killed and a dozen more were wounded. The terrorists were shot dead at the scene by a soldier from the IDF’s ultra-Orthodox Hasmonean Brigade and another armed civilian.

“Construction work was underway on the train, and traffic was heavy. As we drove down toward the junction, I saw a bus stopped—and then I heard automatic gunfire,” Igal said.

“I served in the army in a Golani combat unit, so I know how to identify gunfire. I realized immediately it was a terror attack. I saw people running from the bus stop—there must have been about 70 or 80 people there,” he continued.

Igal halted the taxi and moved around the vehicle while under fire, opening the back door to urge a female passenger to leave immediately. He explained that there was no time for discussion, quickly assisting her out of the car and escorting her 30-40 meters up the road to safety.

Although it was Igal’s first time experiencing a terror attack, he told the JC he had come close more than two decades ago.

“In Jerusalem, 2004 was a difficult year. There were terror attacks in restaurants, buses were blowing up. I was close to two of them, but not like now—not in the midst of it,” he said.

Igal also served as a soldier in Israel’s First Lebanon War in 1982 and returned to fight Iranian-backed Hezbollah in 2006 as a reservist.

“Gunshots and wars are nothing new to me. I know the battlefield, and I will not leave anyone behind. I felt responsible for this woman and had to get her out of there. It didn’t matter what could have happened to me—that was the thought that came to my mind at that moment,” he said.

While Igal told the JC he carries a gun, there were enough armed people on the scene that he did not need to intervene.

“I didn’t want to get into the gunfight because sometimes one person can inadvertently shoot another. There were already four or five people engaging the terrorists,” he said.

Igal had no way of checking on the woman he rescued, since she had hailed him on the street rather than ordering the ride through an app. However, on Monday at 11:30 p.m., his cell phone rang.

“That woman’s daughter managed to find me and called, together with her mother, to thank me for what I did,” he said.

“A taxi is a public vehicle, and I am responsible for the people I drive. I didn’t see a situation where I would run and leave that woman there—it doesn’t make sense to me,” he continued.

“I think any other taxi driver in my situation would have made the exact same decision,” he added.

When asked what he believed was the best way to counter such attacks, Igal cited National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s plan to arm citizens.

“We live in a place where something can happen anytime, anywhere. As many people as possible with experience handling weapons should be armed—people who served in combat units. When they’re seen on the streets, buses, coffee shops, and restaurants, it makes others feel safe,” he said.

When asked how he was dealing with his new found fame, Igal remains remarkably humble.

“There is no change in my life, I am the same person. I went back to my routine. Life goes on as if nothing happened at all,”