The deadly shooting attack that took place on Monday morning at the Ramot Junction in northern Jerusalem highlights the harsh reality that the Ramot neighborhood has become a hotspot for terror attacks, a resident of Ramot said following the attack, warning that the area is not adequately secured.

Speaking in a special broadcast on Kol Chai Radio, Meni Gira Schwartz, the deputy CEO of Kol Chai and resident of Ramot, warned, “Three attacks in three years—Ramot has become a deliberate target for terrorists aiming at Chareidi areas.”

Schwartz called on the Jerusalem Municipality and the Ministry of National Security to take urgent action to protect the thousands of people who pass through the Ramot Junction every day.

Schwartz pointed to a troubling pattern: in the past three years, Ramot has endured three major attacks, including a double bombing at the same junction three years ago that lightly injured five and a car-ramming attack two years ago on Golda Meir Boulevard that killed three people, including the two Paley children, H’yd.

“The terrorists are targeting Chareidi population centers,” he asserted, explaining that the Ramot Junction has become a central hub for the Chareidi public because of the Arazim Egged terminal located there, at which most bus lines serving Chareidi areas begin and end their routes.

“This is a neighborhood the size of a city, and the junction is filled with hundreds of people during the morning rush, and that’s why terrorists choose it as a target,” he added.

Schwartz called for the municipality to treat the neighborhood like a community on the seam line. He suggested placing permanent security guards at bus stops, especially during peak hours, and easing gun licensing requirements for its residents.

“Ramot residents pay the highest property taxes in Jerusalem but don’t receive the same level of security as neighborhoods near the Knesset or the Prime Minister’s residence,” Schwartz stressed, noting that after the previous attack, bollards (traffic barricades) were installed to prevent car rammings. But Monday’s attack, carried out with guns, proves that additional measures are needed.

“This was not a random attack; it was targeted,” he said. “The authorities must not let this pass as just another incident.”

It should be noted that the terrorists may have also targeted the area because of its geographical proximity to their villages in the Ramallah area. They crossed into Israel in the northern Jerusalem area via a “known” breach in the security fence and were driven by an accomplice to the Ramot Junction.

Many Chareidi journalists posted photos of the Ramot Junction on Tuesday morning, with no security presence in sight.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)