Court jails Palestinian man for spitting on female IDF officer on bus, entering Israel illegaly
woman on a mehadrin bus_311 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
According to police, Muhammad sat on a bus beside a reservist officer in uniform, played loud music, and after she moved seats, he approached from behind at a stop and spat in her face.
A 25-year-old man from the Nablus area was sentenced to four months in prison after he admitted in a plea deal to assaulting an IDF officer and unlawfully being in Israel.
According to police, on May 18, 2025, Ahmad Muhammad sat on a bus beside a reservist officer in uniform, played loud music, and after she moved seats, he approached from behind at a stop and spat in her face before fleeing.
According to the amended indictment to which Muhammad pleaded guilty, he ran off as the bus doors opened while passengers and the driver remained stunned. He returned to the Palestinian Authority but turned himself in that evening.
The officer, described as highly regarded, reported feelings of degradation and humiliation, along with nausea and trembling. A video of the assault circulated widely onsocial media, intensifying the exposure and her sense of privacy loss. The IDF chief of staff called her that day to express his support.
In sentencing arguments, the Israel Police prosecutor stressed harm to state sovereignty and personal security, saying the unlawful-stay offense was more serious given the wartime context.
Man in handcuffs – illustrative (credit: INGIMAGE / ASAP)
Public defender claims Muhammad acting from personal beliefs
Public defender Merav Khouri, representing Muhammad, said he was a young first-time offender who acted out of personal offense, not nationalist motive, but the court rejected claims not included in the agreed facts.
Judge Shaul Avinur, who delivered the sentence, ruled that an unprovoked attack on a uniformed service member in public is an aggravating circumstance that undermines public order and the rule of law.
Taking into account the plea and the defendant’s age, the court imposed four months’ imprisonment, deducting time served, plus a four-month suspended sentence. The judge ordered compensation of NIS 2,000 to the officer and a NIS 3,000 fine.
“The offense was carried out in a humiliating and public manner, deliberately,” Judge Avinur wrote in his verdict.
