The assailant “called me a ‘spy’ and a ‘traitor’ in Arabic,” Haddad claimed in a statement cited by Israel’s Kan News.
“The car window was open, and he then spat at me and tried to attack me.
“I defended myself and a confrontation broke out. That’s when I drew my gun to push him away, and a shot was fired,” he alleged.
Israel Police said at the time that the incident “stemmed from a dispute over road use in which the car driver, who claimed he felt threatened, drew his firearm, cocked it and fired from within his vehicle.”
The force had requested that Haddad’s home detention be extended for five more days, but the court decided to do so for three. Attorney Ephraim Damari, who represents Haddad, said he intended to appeal the court’s decision.
According to Ynet, Haddad’s lawyers claim he is frequently under threat from extremists within the Arab community, who see him as a “traitor".
Born in Haifa, the right-wing influencer, 39, is an Orthodox Christian and served in the Golani Brigade in the IDF.
Known for his confrontational style of advocacy against anti-Israel narratives, he was recently in London as part of a delegation of Arab Israelis outside SOAS to “dispel the myth” of Israeli apartheid, as part of the group he founded Vouch for Each Other.
