Israel Matzav

Outrageous: Family members of Fogel killers allowed to pick olives in Itamar

Family members of Hakim and Amjad Awad from the village of Awarta were allowed to pick olives on Sunday within the boundaries of the Jewish village of Itamar. Six months ago, Hakim and Amjad Awad stole into Itamar on a Friday night and murdered Udi and Ruti Fogel and three of their children HY"D (May God Avenge their blood). The Awad cousins gathered important intelligence information about Itamar during last year's olive harvest. On Sunday, 12-year old Tamar Fogel, the eldest daughter of Udi and Ruti and one of three surviving Fogel children, could only look on helplessly as the Awad clan taunted Itamar residents.

Settlers in Itamar were outraged Sunday morning after Palestinians from Awarta arrived in Itamar for their annual olive harvest in the settlement. According to the settlers, among the Palestinians who arrived in Itamar were the family members of Amjad and Hakim Awad who brutally stabbed and murdered five members of the Fogel family six months ago.

The settlers claimed that the Palestinians shouted "We'll Fogel you" and drew their fingers across their necks indicating slaughter.

Dozens of women and children from Itamar protested against the move, including Tamar Fogel who lost her parents and three siblings in the heinous terror attack. Several settlers threw rocks at Palestinians, one was lightly wounded. Security forces separated the two sides.

According to Itamar settlers, during last year's harvest, Hakim Awad entered the settlement and gathered information ahead of the massacre. "This is an abominable case of insensitivity," they said, "In previous years yeshiva students harvested the olives for the Palestinians and transferred them to Awarta's residents free of charge.

"After intervention from left-wing activists we were forced to allow the village residents to carry out their own harvest, but it is clear that with a little bit of thought and creativity we could have found a solution." The settlers claim that this is an "absurd situation where the family of the killer harvests olives meters away from where he butchered an entire family."

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The Palestinians who arrived on the settlement accompanied by Police Special Forces and Border Guard officers claimed that they weren't close relatives of the murderers. "There are famers from the Awad family among the harvesters," admitted Jamal Kavarik, an Awarta resident, "but they weren't closely related to the murderers. The Awad clan in Awarta is numerous."

He attested to the fact that the IDF arrived at the scene in the early hours of the morning to secure the harvest and prevent altercations between the Palestinians and the settlers. "When we arrived on the field 15 settlers came down from Itamar and started throwing rocks at the farmers. I called the Coordination and Liaison Administration and told them and the IDF arrived at the scene."

Itamar residents had warned last year against allowing 'Palestinians' from Awarta to enter their town.

Will there - God forbid - be another terror attack?

In an email, David HaIvri, director of the Shomron Liaison Office, adds.

A flurry of emotions in Itamar:

Six months after the horrifying massacre committed by Amjad and Hackim Awed from the village Awarata, who brutally murdered five members of the Fogel family in Itamar, members of the murderer's family – the Awed clan- approached Itamar this morning (Sunday) for the seasonal olive harvest.

During last year's olive harvest, the murderer Hackim Awed had entered Itamar and collected information to prepare for his deadly attack, as a result was later able to enter Itamar for the second time, together with his brother Amjad, according to intel he acquired during the harvest.

Gershon Mesika, Head of the Shomron Regional Council contacted the commanding ranks of the IDF and Knesset Members in order to stop the murderess clan's harvest:
"It is an outrage that cries out to Heaven. A year ago, exactly, I warned the army commands and the Civil Administration, that terrorists can use the olive harvest as an opportunity to collect intelligence before attacking. In spite of all my warnings, hundreds of Arabs from the village Awaratha were allowed into Itamar to harvest the olives. Among them was the murderer Hackim Awed, who then collected information before the massacre. I would expect that this year there would be some logical consideration.

Chairman of the Shomron Residence Committee, Benny Katzover responded severely to the actions of the Civil Administration:
"There is no limit to the Civil Administration's lack of responsibility and of sensitivity. We thought that even the callous unilateral would have a limit. The Civil Admin' has surrendered, yet again, to the radical left wing and has endangered the life of Jews.

Brigadier-General (reserve) Rabbi Avichai Rozenki, head of Itamar Yeshiva, who was the Chief Military Rabbi has responded in astonishment:
"only six months after the murder, while our blood is still boiling and the residents are still caring for their bleeding wounds, allowing anyone from the Awerata vilage, where the murderers of the Fogel family and the Shvo Family came from – is outrages and negligent!"

At this time the women of Itamar are protesting in the Itamar harvest areas. – Among the protesters is Tamar Fogel, orphan of the murdered family.

Four members of the Shvo (usually spelled Shabo) family - Rachel Shabo and three of her sons (Avishai – 5, Zvika – 13 and Neria – 16) - were murdered along with a neighbor in a 2002 terror attack by another member of the Awad clan.

Labels: Amjad Awad, Awarta, Fogel family massacre, Hakim Awad, Itamar, olive harvest, Palestinian terrorism

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:38 PM