A 52-year-old Orthodox Jewish man was subjected to antisemitic abuse and intimidation by a London bus driver who refused to return his bank card for nearly an hour � even after police arrived on the scene.

David Abraham told the BBC that the confrontation began after he accidentally dropped his bank card into the driver�s cab while boarding a bus in north London on Monday. Instead of returning the card, the driver allegedly refused to open the door and began shouting antisemitic insults.

�He said, �Get out � I don�t like Jewish people. You look like a Mossad agent,�� Abraham recounted. �I said, �Why do you say that?� I was shocked.�

According to Abraham, police were called but the driver still refused to cooperate. �The driver said, �No, no, no, I don�t want to give you the card. If you want it, open this door and take it yourself. But me, I will not give you the card.� So the officer opened the door, took the card, and gave it back to me,� he said.

Abraham described the ordeal as humiliating and frightening. �I feel scared to go out again because of what happened,� he told the broadcaster.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that officers were dispatched to the scene. �No crime was reported at the time,� a police spokesperson said, �but the following day, the incident was reported as a hate crime and is under review.�

A spokesperson for Arriva London Bus said the driver has been suspended pending an internal investigation. �Arriva London does not tolerate abuse of any kind, and we will always deal with any incidents swiftly and robustly,� the company said in a statement.

The incident adds to growing concern over a surge in antisemitic incidents across London, where Jewish community groups have warned of a sharp increase in harassment and intimidation on public transport in recent months.

For Abraham, the experience was deeply personal. �I�ve lived in London all my life,� he said. �I never thought something like this could happen here.�

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)