The suspect in the stabbing of a soldier on the light rail in Jerusalem 10 days ago was arraigned in the Jerusalem Magistrate Court on Monday, when his remand was extended for an additional four days.

The suspect, 18-year-old Mohammed Shuman from Beit Hanina, seriously injured Yehudit Aharon when he stabbed her multiple times on the light rail in the neighborhood of Pisgat Ze´ev on March 15. It was the first violent incident on the light rail, which began carrying passengers in August.

Aharon was released from Shaare Tzedek Medical Center last Thursday after recovering from her wounds. The stab wounds missed her heart by a few centimeters, which doctors said was “a miracle.”

According to the police investigation, Shuman went to school on the Thursday morning armed with a knife. Upon arrival, he decided not to enter the school grounds and got on the light rail in the direction of his house around 10 a.m.. He sat across from the soldier, who was in uniform on the way to her base. A few second before the light rail pulled into the Yekutiel Adam station in Pisgat Zev, Shuman stood up and stabbed her a number of times.

When the doors opened, Shuman fled the scene for his home. When he got to his house, he told his brother about the stabbing, and then took a bus in the direction of Ramallah with the intention of staying with relatives in the West Bank.

While Shuman was on the bus he threw the knife out the window, police said. Police caught Shuman at the Kalandia checkpoint before he crossed into the West Bank.

During the first investigation, Shuman said that he stabbed the soldier as revenge for Israel´s actions against the Palestinians. Police believe that he was acting independently and is not part of a terror organization.

Shuman’s lawyer, Muhammed Mahmud, denied that the incident was a revenge attack and said Shuman had been brought for a psychiatric evaluation. He added that emotional or mental problems are a more likely motive than terrorism. Mahmud added that Shuman had no history of criminal activity and had never been investigated by the police for involvement in rock throwing or other nationally-motivated activities. (© 1995-2011, The Jerusalem Post 03/26/12)