Stabbed J’lem bus guard’s condition remains critical

The life of Asher Elmaliach, the security guard who was stabbed in the Jerusalem central bus station attack last week, is still in danger, a Shaare Zedek Medical Center spokeswoman told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.

“He is still in a very critical condition,” she said. “He is still in a coma and connected to life support systems – to an ECMO device and to a respiratory assistance device.... His vital signs are stable and so is his condition, but [the situation] is still highly critical.”

She added that he is no longer considered in imminent danger of death.

Elmaliach, 46, from Adam (Geva Binyamin), was stabbed in the heart by Yasin Abu al-Qur’a, a 24-year-old from the Nablus area. The attacker was apprehended and arrested immediately after the attack.

Police have not yet clarified details of Abu al-Qur’a’s background, but it is believed he acted as a “lone wolf,” without receiving guidance or assistance. It has been assumed that the stabbing was a response to the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.