Two Israelis Injured in ISIS-Inspired New Year's Terror Attack in New Orleans

Two Israeli IDF reservists, recently returned from fighting in Lebanon against Hezbollah and in Gaza against Hamas, were wounded in a terror attack in New Orleans on New Year's Day. The attack, reportedly inspired by ISIS, took place when a vehicle rammed into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 15 and injuring dozens more. The assailant, identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old former US military veteran, allegedly carried out the attack under the influence of ISIS ideology.

According to Elad Shoshan, the Israeli consul for Southwest US, the two men had traveled to the US for a six-week visit to “clear their heads” after the intense combat they had faced in the Middle East. Shoshan expressed the irony and horror of the situation, saying, "They left the terror of one country and never expected to be victims of it in another."

One of the injured men remains in critical condition and will require further surgery, while the other is reported to be in stable condition. This tragic event has raised concerns about the global reach of terrorism, with Shoshan noting, “This isn’t the first time America has suffered a terror attack.” He stressed the need to eliminate terrorist threats fully, stating, "You don’t put out 50 percent of a fire. You need to fully stamp it out to make sure it never happens again."

The attack highlights the persistent global threat of terrorism, and the tragic irony that these two soldiers, who had fought to protect their homeland, were targeted in a country far from the conflict zones they had recently left.