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)