Ben-Gvir car crash victim: Nat'l security minister isn't the only person in the world

Idan Damotov says there is no justifying the reckless driving that left him hospitalized after car crash with Ben-Gvir and his entourage

 ITAMAR BEN-GVIR is a liability for Israel and a gift for international entities hell-bent on Israel’s destruction, the writer argues. (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)
ITAMAR BEN-GVIR is a liability for Israel and a gift for international entities hell-bent on Israel’s destruction, the writer argues.
(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)

Idan Damotov, the victim in the car crash with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir that occurred on Friday, said that he is "alright, a bit better" and that he is "now waiting for a CT scan" after seriously injuring his knee in the crash. 

Damotov, speaking on Tuesday to 103FM's Udi Segal and Guy Peleg, said that it was "all a matter of seconds."

According to Damotov, the crash, which landed Ben-Gvir in the hospital with light injuries, happened quickly. "I drove to the bank to deposit money. I entered the junction, driving with a green light and into an empty junction, and simply out of nowhere, Ben-Gvir's convoy crashed into me from my left, swerving into my lane and causing the vehicles to crash into one another."

"I didn't plan on being hospitalized for five days; that's not what I want," he continued. "I was wearing a seatbelt, the airbags deployed, the car was damaged beyond repair, the whole windshield was shattered, it was a mess."

According to his lawyer, Rafat Asadi, Damotov is anxious. "It is not every day that a person can be involved in such an accident with someone who sits at the top of the police pyramid," he said. "This is not a normal incident."

Dashcam footage of Itamar Ben-Gvir's car crash, April 27, 2024. (Credit: According to Section 27A of the Copyright Act)

Damotov said that Ben-Gvir called him when the minister was released from the hospital.

"He asked how I was, saw what was going on with me, and that was it," he said. I cannot justify that just because he was threatened gives him the right to drive through a red light and risk the lives of other people. There's something to be said there, but you must still drive more carefully and take more responsibility for yourself.

"At the end of the day, there are other people around you, and you're not the only person in the world," he concluded. "I'm here by miracle, I'm hospitalized here, and I know that I am here by miracle alone, and I could have, heaven forbid, not been here."

What happened in the car crash?

The car accident occurred on Friday while Ben-Gvir was leaving the scene of a stabbing attack in Ramle that morning that left one eighteen-year-old woman in serious condition. 

Ben-Gvir had been hospitalized for a couple of days. His daughter, who was in the car during the crash, was released Saturday. Damotov is still undergoing treatment.

He said on Saturday that if his accident had been worse, "quite a few" among the far-left "would have celebrated."