In a chilling coincidence, it was exactly 11 years ago that I saw the No. 14 Egged bus blow up near Gan Hapaamon. I stopped my car and ran like crazy toward it, among all the dead and wounded. I helped a girl named Liz, who was losing a lot of blood. I used my fingers to staunch the flow until the paramedics arrived. When she was transported to the hospital, I had no idea if she was still alive or dead, and I kept treating the rest of the wounded. Liz recovered and we became very close. About two years ago, she called me and asked if I would lead her to the huppah on her wedding day. That was one of the most touching moments in my life. On Sunday, a few minutes after my bodyguard Assaf and I took down the terrorist in IDF Square while he was still trying to stab passersby, Liz's mother, Ruthie Montilio, called me in tears and talked to me about the amazing coincidence. In moments like these, facing a terrorist, you act mainly by intuition and do what anyone would be expected to do -- take out the terrorist. Terrorism is a global problem and needs to be dealt with harshly -- in Paris, in Tel Aviv, in Jerusalem, and anywhere else. I'm happy to say that the number of disturbances in Jerusalem has declined drastically. We need to maintain vigilance and keep our eyes open. The people among us who carry weapons, soldiers and officers -- one time that's us, another time it's someone else -- know how to take down terrorists and have done so whenever they have needed to. I'm certain that this gives Jerusalem residents a feeling of security and sends an important message to terrorists. Anyone who tries to attack us will pay dearly. You can't hesitate in the face of terrorism.
