You're Not Going to Believe What a Stupid Terrorist Did in Indianapolis

Roy Reigels was a football player for the University of California Berkeley whose only claim to fame was what some call the worst blunder in the history of college football.

It was the 1929 Rose Bowl, and Reigels's Golden Bears faced off against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Halfway through the second quarter, Reigels picked up a Georgia Tech fumble and began a race to the end zone and eternal glory.

Except Reigels got turned around when he picked up the fumble and began running the wrong way. With 100,000 people screaming at him and his own teammates chasing him, Reigels raced toward then end zone oblivious to his monumental blunder. He was finally tackled at the three-yard line by his own quarterback, Benny Lom. From then on, he became known as "Wrong Way Riegels."

Flash forward to the present day, and whatever the terrorist equivalent of "Wrong Way Reigels" is, it should apply to Ruba Almaghtheh.

Almaghteh is an Indiana woman who had been watching coverage of the Israel-Hamas war and became incensed when she drove past the Israelite School of Universal and Practical Knowledge and saw the star of David.

She wanted to commit a "hate crime," according to Indianapolis police, and rammed her car into the building. It's not known whether she screamed "Allahu Akbar!" as her vehicle struck the target, but it's doubtful that Allah would have been pleased. The building Almaghtheh hit belonged to "a sect of the Black Hebrew Israelites - a fringe religious movement that is completely distinct from Black Jews," according to the Jewish Chronicle.

"Almaghtheh told officers she was watching news coverage of the Israel-#Hamas war on television and decided to plan an attack on the building because she was offended by the “Hebrew Israelite” symbol on the front of the building."https://t.co/Tkvz0fWEts
— Alberto Miguel Fernandez (@AlbertoMiguelF5) November 5, 2023

Almaghtheh admitted to committing the "hate crime" during her courtesy phone call with a family member, police said.
The building is used by the Israelite School of Universal and Practical Knowledge which has been labeled an antisemitic hate group.
The Anti-Defamation League defines it as an "extreme and antisemitic" sect of the Black Hebrew Israelites.
The Black Hebrew Israelites, who have appropriated the Star of David, believe that people of colour are the true children of Israel. Followers identify specifically with the Biblical Israelites and consider Judaism, Christianity and Islam to be false religions.

Great job, Ruba. You do all terrorists proud.

On a more serious note, the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis released a statement on Saturday night that noted the irony of Almaghteh's "misdirected" target, but pointed out the potential tragedy that might have happened.

“Safety and security for our community is of the utmost importance, and we are more secure and prepared than ever before,” Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis officials wrote in a press release. “Although a Jewish facility was not targeted, solely due to ironic misidentification, this is yet another reminder to maintain security protocols, remain vigilant of suspicious activity and to (report promptly) to the appropriate authorities.”

Would that all terrorist attacks were so "misdirected."