A 34-year-old Arab Muslim woman named Ruba Almaghtheh from Indiana was arrested by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) and designated as a “terrorist” after she intentionally crashed her vehicle into what she believed was a Jewish school on 3rd November.
She rammed her car into the building utilized by the Israelite School of Universal and Practical Knowledge which is a Black Hebrew Israelite sect that the Anti-Defamation League termed as “anti-Israel, extreme and antisemitic” and the Southern Poverty Law Center has classified as a hate group.
According to Indianapolis police, the collision happened at around 11:30 p.m. After the cops reached the location, the accused made reference to the Palestinians and called them “her people back in Palestine” and claimed that “she had been watching the news and “couldn’t breathe anymore.”
Ruba Almaghtheh confessed to the police, “Yes, I did it on purpose,” and they revealed that she had passed the institution multiple times and described it as the “Israel school.” People including adults and children were inside the building at the time, however, no injuries were reported. She disclosed to the cops that she was angered by the “Hebrew Israelite” symbol on the front of the building and decided to launch an assault after seeing news reports about the Israel-Hamas conflict on television.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis announced in a statement on the night of 5 November that Safe Indiana, a Jewish community security program, was alerted of the situation right away. Law enforcement and Safe Indiana are collaborating to look into the incident.
“Safety and security for our community is of the utmost importance, and we are more secure and prepared than ever before. Although a Jewish facility was not targeted, solely due to ironic misidentification, this is yet another reminder to maintain security protocols, remain vigilant of suspicious activity and to (report promptly) to the appropriate authorities,” the press release read.
When the culprit was questioned by authorities, she acknowledged perpetrating the “hate crime” while talking to a family member on a courteous phone call. On 8 November, she is anticipated to be brought before the court. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was notified about the occurrence by the police who arrested the offender on a preliminary charge of criminal recklessness. The FBI proclaimed that they are “aware of the incident” and that they have joined forces with the Indianapolis police to resolve the issue.
It is notable here that anti-semitic attacks have been on the rise in the USA after the Israel-Hamas war commenced.