Change: Trump demands Sbarro murderer's extradition, tells 'Palestinians' to end incitement
One of Haaretz's editorials today speculated that ultimately, the 'Palestinians' will have to save Israel from enacting a 'two-state solution.' Israel Radio's midnight news gave two signals that the 'Palestinians' are being put in a position where they will have to behave properly, or there will be no support from the United States for a 'Palestinian state.'
First, the United States has demanded that Jordan extradite Ahlam Tamimi, who planned the Sbarro suicide bombing 16 years ago and drove the bomber to the downtown Jerusalem restaurant.
Tamimi scouted for a target before leading the bomber, Izz al-Din
Shuheil al-Masri, to the Sbarro restaurant. They arrived just before
2:00 pm, when the restaurant was filled with customers, dozens of women,
children and babies, and pedestrian traffic outside was at its peak.
Tamimi
departed before Al-Masri, thought to be carrying a rigged guitar case
or wearing an an explosive vest weighing 5 to 10 kilograms of
explosives, nails, nuts and bolts, detonated his bomb.
She is
currently a television host in Jordan, has hosted Hamas arch-terrorist
Saleh Arouri (who ordered the kidnapping of three Jewish teenagers in
June 2014), bragged of her involvement in others murders of Israelis and
is considered as a symbol of the Palestinians fight.
Israel Radio reported that Tamimi was sentenced to 16 life sentences (15 Israelis were murdered in the bombing and a 16th - Chana Nachenberg - is in a vegetative state to this day), but was released as part of the 'terrorists for Gilad' trade in 2011. Israel Radio said that two of the terrorists' victims were US citizens (I think it was actually more than two - Malki Roth and Shoshana Heyman HY"D were also American citizens).
Jordan may have a tough call to make, honoring its strong alliance to
the US, with trying to avoid offending its majority Palestinian
population and an anti-extradition trend in its court system, according
to Shurat Hadin which is representing the family of the victim Chana
Nachenberg (Finers and Nachenbergs) who was grievously injured in the
bombing and remains in Israel in a coma even until now.
According
to Shurat HaDin President Nitsana Darshan-Leitner: "We are glad that
the US Department of Justice has decided to move forward against this
notorious mass murderer. We have been requesting for a long time that
this unrepentant Palestinian terrorist be rearrested, extradited and
prosecuted by American law enforcement officials."
"It was
outrageous that Israel released this criminal with so much innocent
blood on her hands and who has publicly rejoiced that she killed 8
Jewish children. For too long Jordan has become a safe haven for
Palestinian terrorists and, hopefully, this is a change of policy for
the new Trump administration, to start to pursue the numerous
Palestinians who have killed US citizens in Israel," she said.
Chana
Nachenberg's father, Yitzhak Bennett Finer, has responded: "We applaud
the efforts of the Department of Justice in trying to bring Tamimi to
justice and we hope they'll be successful. Our daughter Chana Nachenberg
had the prime of her life taken from her because she has spent the past
15 and half years in a vegetative state on a respirator as a result of
this inhuman act of the heinous bombing of Sbarros. Her daughter Sarah
has grown up without a mother and her husband David without the love of
his wife."
Jordan is highly unlike to extradite Tamimi. If the royal family is about anything, it's about self-preservation. Extraditing Tamimi (whose clan includes prominent Jordanian lawyers) would bring about fighting that has been unseen since the Black September uprising in 1970. There is almost no chance that King Abdullah will take that risk to keep the United States happy.
In a second report this evening, Israel Radio reported that the United States' Jerusalem Consulate's readout of Trump envoy Jason Greenblatt's meeting with 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud AbbasAbu Mazen today included a demand that the 'Palestinians' stop incitement to terrorism.
During a meeting at the Palestinian
Authority’s headquarters in Ramallah, Abbas committed to combat
Palestinian incitement, the statement said. The Palestinian leader and
Greenblatt also discussed building up the PA’s security forces,
advancing the peace process, and improving the Palestinian economy.
According to the readout, Abbas told
Greenblatt that “he believes that under President Trump’s leadership a
historic peace deal is possible, and that it will enhance security
throughout the region.”
“President Abbas committed to preventing inflammatory rhetoric and incitement,” the statement added.
The government of Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu has been adamant that PA-sanctioned media and school
curriculum are responsible for inciting terrorism.
...
The Palestinian daily al-Quds cited sources in
the US Congress who said Greenblatt warned Abbas that US lawmakers are
working to condition US aid to the Palestinians — with the exception of
security assistance — on ending incitement, including payments to the
families of Palestinian terrorists.
The PA pays monthly stipends to families who
have a member who is considered to have been “martyred,” which usually
means being killed by an Israeli while carrying out a terror attack or
suspected attack, or who is spending time in Israeli prison for
perpetrating a terrorist act.
The US government has already taken measures
to ensure its aid isn’t funneled to the families of terrorists. That
includes paying the debts of the PA directly, rather than transferring
funds into the PA’s coffers.
In the 12th year of his four-year term, Abu Dodobird may have finally found an American President who is willing to stand up to him. The 'Palestinians' must be really disappointed that Hillary Clinton lost the election. Heh.
Family of 'Palestinian' terror victim were Bob Kraft's guests of honor at the Super Bowl
I am sure that many of you recall Ezra Schwartz, the American yeshiva student (who studied at the same high school I did) who was murdered in a 'Palestinian' terror attack here in Israel a bit more than a year ago. More of you may recall that Patriots' owner Robert Kraft ordered a moment of silence to honor Ezra before a Monday night football game in Foxboro during the shiva, after Kraft himself had shown up at the family's home to pay a condolence call (and embarrassed then President Hussein Obama into calling the family).
On Sunday, the Schwartz family got to see one heck of a football game - as Kraft's VIP guests. That's right, the Schwartz's (pictured above) were Patriots' owner Robert Kraft's VIP guests at Super Bowl LI in Houston.
Oh, and this is far from the only not-so-random act of kindness on Bob Kraft's list. Remember Max Steinberg, the IDF lone soldier (who was killed in Operation Protective Edge in Gaza in the summer of 2014) whose mother was asked by buffoon John Kerry how her day is going? Here's what Bob Kraft sent Steinberg's parents in Los Angeles.
In fact, many of Kraft's acts of kindness seem to connect football to Israel. This is from the third link above.
Kraft is also a huge supporter of Israel and routinely takes football
players to goodwill trips to Israel, even during the height of the
Second Intifada.
Kraft took Patriots players on the tours, including star quarterback Tom
Brady in 2006 – who, though not Jewish, keeps a menorah that Kraft gave
him in his Brookline home. These players in turn share stories and
photos of Israel to their millions of fans with counterbalance all the
negative press and opinions about Israel.
One of Kraft’s most distinctive philanthropic projects is supporting
American Football Israel, including Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem
and the Kraft Family Israel Football League.
Another project is an annual reception that Kraft continues to hold after his wife Myra's death (they used to do it together) for all of the kids from Boston who are in Israel on one-year programs. That one should be happening in the next month or two.
There's more too:
He takes time out of his busy schedule to
write letters to the families of fallen IDF soldiers and personally
doing the huge mitzvah of nichum aveilim (visiting the bereaved) Kraft
is nosei b’ol chaveiro ( carrying the burden of your people) by helping
these bereaved parents find some comfort with his condolence visit and
remembering them over a year later and flying them down to the Super
Bowl to be his personal VIP guests at the Super Bowl.
As Ezra Schwartz’s aunt Rachel said, he has a
“good neshoma” and is a true “mentch” in every sense of the word, it is
not for us to say that her theory of the last minute miraculous
turn-around in the Super Bowl is not somehow ordained from above,
although quarterback Tom Brady did famously say “God, [there’s] got to
be more than this” on “60 Minutes” in reference to winning his third
Super Bowl. Kraft indeed deserves credit where credit is due. (Hakaras
Hatov.) we just shared it with you, now share this story and the
inspiration. G-d Bless you, Mr. Kraft!
For those of you who root for other teams who find the Patriots' constant success frustrating and annoying, now you know why he merits it. Go out and perform acts of kindness for others like Kraft does, and maybe your time will succeed too.
Oh yeah, in case you missed, the Patriots came from down 28-3 with two minutes left in the third quarter to beat the Falcons 34-28 on Sunday night. Watching here in Israel at 5:30 am was quite sweet.
Astounding: US Embassy has left terror victim's body in Israeli morgue for six years
Sorry for the lack of posting - I am totally swamped with work and has been all week. This will be quick.
I am embedding a Facebook post by Kay Wilson, a terror victim, who describes the inaction of the US Embassy in Israel under both Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, with respect to the body of Kristine Luken. Luken was murdered in the same terror attack in which Wilson was injured.
This post is beyond shocking....
I have no words to describe my disgust with the United States government over this incident.
Difficult to watch: Raw video of aftermath of Friday's terror attack - UPDATE 7:35 PM
For those who - like me - may have missed this when it was posted during Shabbat in Israel, here is a raw video of the aftermath of Friday's terror attack. It's pretty brutal, and if you're under 16, I suggest you ask your parents to watch it first.
I linked rather than embedding because I could not get it not to play automatically if it was embedded.
I am hearing rumors that Mrs. Marc is a US citizen and the daughter of someone I knew when I was in yeshiva here in the late '70's and early '80's. If the rumors are true, I spent Shabbat in her parents' home several times....
In the meantime, President Obama has still said nothing about the murder of 13-year old Hallel Yaffa Ariel HY"D - also an American citizen - in her bed on Thursday morning.
UPDATE 7:35 PM
I have now confirmed that Mrs. Marc is the daughter of people with whom I spent Shabbat many times when I was in yeshiva....
If Marc and Wiesel meet on their way up to Heaven, perhaps they will recognize each other, for they have met before.
An eerie photo has surfaced of Elie Wiesel hanging a mezuzah in
Otniel. Next to him in the photo stands Michael Mark (gesturing with his
hand).
Michael was murdered on Friday,
when a terrorist sprayed more than 20 bullets at his car. Killed
instantly, his car flipped, with his wife and children inside. His wife
is still on life support, although his son Pedaya is set to be released
today, while another daughter is awake in the hospital.
In a strange parallel, Elie Weisel passed away on Saturday,
at the age of 87. Weisel, a Holocaust survivor known for personifying
"Never Again," fought to represent the Jewish nation reborn, stronger
than ever.
In the picture, they were together at the dedication of a new Beit
Midrash (Torah study hall) in the town of Otniel, where Marc lived and
close to where he was murdered on Friday.
Then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is standing behind Wiesel in the picture above. Marc is the man with the jacket and the white shirt without a tie. Here is a picture of the actual mezuzah hanging.
If I'm not mistaken, the man with the large white kipa and the longish white hair in the back (better seen in the top photo with his hands on Wiesel's shoulders) is Yitzchak (Ira) Rennert, a well-known American Jewish philanthropist. If I'm wrong, someone will correct me and I will delete this.
Bereaved Parents Comfort Family of Ezra Schwartz at OneFamily: “We Are All With You”
Ruth Schwartz, Ari Schwartz, Nachum Lemkus, and Brenda Lemkus at the OneFamily Center in Jerusalem
Coping with the loss of a child in a terrorist
attack is one of the loneliest experiences a parent can face. For Ari
and Ruth Schwartz, who lost their son Ezra in a terror shooting in
November, the isolation is intensified because the family
lives in America, far away from the support of other bereaved parents.
That’s why OneFamily Fund,
which provides support to victims of terror, sponsored the family on a
visit to Israel and arranged for them to meet with other parents who
have lost children to
terror.
“The Schwartz family has the difficult task of
mourning the murder of their son, Ezra, all alone, in America,” said
OneFamily Chairman Marc Belzberg. “Today, at OneFamily, they benefitted
from the warm embrace, the shared experiences and
the heartfelt advice of many other Israeli parents who, like them, lost
a child to terror.”
Ari and Ruth participated in a support session with
members of bereaved families. Ruth shared her memories of Ezra, noting
that “everything was more fun when Ezra was around. His personality was
so big.” Ari asked the parents questions
that could only be directed to others who have shared the experience.
The group included BatGalim Shaer, the mother of
Gil-Ad Shaer, one of three teens who were kidnapped and murdered last
summer. The kidnapping took place in the same location as the shooting
that took Ezra’s life. During Ezra’s shiva, OneFamily
paid to fly BatGalim and her daughter to America to provide personal
support.
Others included Nachum and Brenda Lemkus, whose
daughter Dalia was stabbed to death in 2014 in the same location where
Ezra Schwartz was killed and the three teens had been kidnapped and
murdered; Tirza Levy, mother of Rabbi Nechemia Lavi,
killed in the Old City of Jerusalem in October when he came to the aid
of other terror victims; Ronit and Ury Cherki, whose son Shalom was
killed in car ramming at a bus stop in April; Cheryl Mandel, whose son
Daniel was killed in combat at 2003.
The meeting also brought together Rivkah Moriah,
whose son Avraham David Moses, killed in the terror attack on the Mercaz
HaRav yeshiva in 2008; Pirhia and Yossi Apter, who lost their son Noam
in a terrorist attack on a yeshiva in Otniel
in 2002; and Penina and Simcha Malik, whose son Gedalia was killed
fighting in Jenin.
Sarah Rosenfeld, whose son Malachi was killed in a
drive-by shooting on his way home from a basketball game in July,
started the session by telling Ari and Ruth that the purpose of the
evening was to give them a big hug and “a gift from
our own lives.” And the evening ended with hugs all around.
The parents greeted Ari and Ruth with love and
support, shared their own bereavement stories, and spoke about their
journey of grieving and recovery. Most importantly, they let Ari and
Ruth know they are not alone.
“Losing a child, we are now different, “said Simcha
Malik. “But here (at OneFamily), we are normal. We have our own
language, our own society.”
Batgalim Shaer advised the couple to focus on their
four surviving children. “Remember what you do have,” she said, “not
only what you have lost.”
Brenda Lemkus warned against the feeling that
bereaved parents need to project an image of strength. “You don’t need
to be strong for anyone,” she said. “You only need to be strong for
yourself.
Nachum Lemkus urged the family to carry on with
projects that their son would have wanted them to do. “Do it in his
name, no matter what it is.” Ari agreed, noting that the original
purpose of the visit was to help fix up the park in Gush
Etzion, as Ezra was doing at the time of his death.
Ronit Cherki urged the couple to respect their own feelings. “Trust yourself about what you need,” she advised.
Rivkah Moriah spoke about the benefits of
OneFamily’s youth camps over Chanukah, Passover, and in the summer for
the four remaining children in the Schwartz family. The camps, she said,
give the children a chance to enjoy themselves without
guilt. “There is no sense of betrayal having a good time among other
bereaved children.”
Simcha Malik told the couple that part of their
journey would be to progress past the point where other people feel they
need to give to them. “It’s the other way around,” he said.
OneFamily provides financial assistance,
therapeutic programs, legal assistance and a steady stream of personal
encouragement for each victim and their family. The organization’s
presence and resources ensure that victims and their families
never need to feel alone.
*******
As some of you might recall, Ezra HY"D (May God Avenge his blood) graduated from my alma mater, Maimonides School in Brookline, Mass. The defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots held a moment of silence for Ezra during the shiva week. Ezra was a huge Patriots fan.
The story above was provided by OneFamily. I have mentioned OneFamily on this blog several times in the past. The organization was started by friends of Mrs. Carl and me.
Israel's Hebrew 'Palestinian' Daily: Ezra Schwartz deserved to die
Haaretz, Israel's Hebrew 'Palestinian' daily, has published an article (accessible only behind a paywall, and I will not pay to access the full article) that implies that Ezra Schwartz, the Massachusetts teenager who was murdered last month in a terror attack, deserved to die because his yeshiva sent him to volunteer at an 'illegal West Bank outpost.' They even call it an 'Exclusive.'
The reality is that most Israelis don't pay to read Haaretz - in print or online - and it is only read by the European and US elites for whom the online service exists. They are the target market for articles like this one - the BDS'ers and the elites who try to ban Israeli products from Europe's supermarkets.
The reality also is that if your child attends an identifiably Zionist year-in-Israel program, they will probably visit places across the green line in Judea and Samaria or 'east' Jerusalem at some point. Those places might include 'illegal outposts.' There is no difference where you are going to hand out charity. A Jew is a Jew wherever he or she may be.
And the reality also is that the terrorists who murdered Ezra and tried to murder his friends had no clue why Ezra and his friends were there, and really didn't care why they were there. The terrorists were just looking for Jews to murder as they have for the last 150 years in this country.
Shame on the lowlife scum at Haaretz for dancing on Ezra's grave.
Two weeks ago, a man and his son were murdered in a terror attack while on their way to their future son-in-law's/brother-in-law's aufruf (the celebration of an Ashkenazic Jewish man on the Sabbath before his wedding).
Because the murder took place before the wedding and the daughter/sister knew about it, she could not be married until after the shiva.
The wedding took place in Jerusalem tonight, and the entire country (literally) was invited. At 11:00 pm, there will still people waiting to get in.
Let's go to the videotape.
You can find many more videos of the wedding here (you'll have to change the filter if you're viewing this post after 24 hours are up).
Mi k'amcha Yisrael (who is like your people Israel)?
What you may not know about the Patriots honoring terror victim Ezra Schwartz
I realize that many of you thought I might have disappeared from the face of the earth. When I last left you - nearly a week ago - I was in Chicago where my only internet connections were the public library and the Kosher Dunkin' Donuts. Last Sunday I flew to New York. I stayed in New Jersey Sunday and Monday nights, and had meetings in New York on Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday afternoon I drove to Boston. This afternoon I drove to New York City. I am here for the weekend. Had no time to post until now.
As I am sure you all know, Ezra Schwartz HY"D (May God Avenge his blood) was murdered in a terror attack in Israel a week ago tonight. On Monday night, at the Patriots-Bills game on national television, the Patriots had a moment of silence in memory of Ezra, who lived in the nearby town of Sharon (the stadium is in Foxboro - they are very close to each other).
Let's go to the videotape.
So here's what you didn't know. Four friends of Ezra's were on the El Al flight from Israel on Saturday night. No, El Al didn't fly them for free. Patriots owner Bob Kraft paid for their tickets. Kraft also paid a condolence call on the family. And he apparently embarrassed President Obama enough that he called the Schwartz's as well (he had not said a word about the terror attack before).
I'd be much happier with Bob Kraft as the next President of the United States than with Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Unfortunately, Kraft isn't running.
Sharon, Massachusetts teenager murdered in terror attack in Israel
Greetings from Chicago where I have VERY limited internet access.
An 18-year old on his 'gap year' in Israel was murdered today in a terror attack near Gush Etzion. Below is the email sent out by my alma mater, Maimonides School in Brookline, Mass. from which Ezra Schwartz HY"D (May God Avenge his blood) graduated just a few months ago (Hat Tip: Lance K).
Dear friends,
It is with a broken heart that I must share with you the very sad news that Ezra Schwartz, z"l, a graduate of the Class of 2015, was murdered in a terrorist attack in Israel earlier today. Ezra was spending his gap year studying at Yeshivat Ashreinu in Beit Shemesh.
While here at school we are focused on supporting our 550 students and our alumni in the Class of 2015, I am writing you this brief note because we are all part of the Maimonides School family and today we suffered an unbearable loss.
We offer our deepest condolences to Ezra's parents Ari and Ruth Schwartz of Sharon and siblings Mollie '14, and current Maimonides students Avi, Elon, and Hillel.
May the Schwartz family and the Maimonides School family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
Very sincerely,
Naty Katz
Head of School
No, he was not in the IDF - he was in the Ashreinu Yeshiva in Beit Shemesh. Here's Arutz Sheva.
[Ezra Schwartz] and the other students who were hurt in the attack had come to
help build the Oz Vegaon site, which was established in memory of the
three yeshiva students who were abducted and murdered last summer.
His funeral will be held in Boston on Sunday.
ZAKA emergency services have contacted his family in the US, as well as a relative in Israel who is to identify his body.
The Beit Shemesh Municipality announced that it is "shocked and
grief-stricken by the murder of the yeshiva student, in the shooting
attack at Guush Etzion."
Schwartz had come, together with five other students from abroad, to hand out food to soldiers in Gush Etzion.
The five other students were lightly wounded and are being treated at Shaare Tzedek Hospital in Jerusalem.
The students are in Israel as part of a program in which youths
volunteer for 9.5 months, studying at yeshiva during the day and
volunteering in the evenings.
The adult who was killed in the attack was Yaakov Don, an alumnus of Yeshivat Har Etzion, where I also studied.
Full story of the Alon Shvut terror attack here. There was also a terror attack at a Tel Aviv synagogue today. That story is here. 'Peace' is not at hand.
The woman hanging out the window on the left of the building when everyone was escaping is pregnant. I have no idea how she got down from the window. You'll see her again briefly in the second video below.
Video: Eyewitness describes Thursday's terror attack in Beit Shemesh
Here's an interview in English with someone who was an eyewitness to Thursday's terror attack in Beit Shemesh. Incredibly, the two terrorists wandered around the area unmolested for about an hour.
Let's go to the videotape.
A Beit Shemesh resident recounts this mornings terrorists attack where he saw two suspicious people waiting by his local bus stop, and followed them until the police came. It's a miracle that more people were not killed. Credit: Arutz Sheva
Posted by StandWithUs on Thursday, October 22, 2015
Shocking video of one of today's terror attacks in Jerusalem
It's been a difficult, painful day here in Jerusalem, as we have gone back into intifada mode (2000-04).
Here's video of one of today's terror attacks in the city. This took place at a bus stop on Malchei Yisrael Street in the city's Geula neighborhood - a major thoroughfare that I usually walk down at least once a week. In fact, at least two of my children were there yesterday!
Let's go to the videotape.
SHOCKING FOOTAGE: Moment of Arab terrorist ramming his car into bus stop then stabbing Israelis before being shot. pic.twitter.com/c4AAomN4xr
The terrorist - like all of the terrorists involved in today's five terror attacks around the country - was an Arab resident of 'east' Jerusalem, which means that he could roam around freely without hitting any army checkpoints. He was an employee of Bezeq, Israel's national phone carrier, and used his company-issued truck to carry out the attack. His job at Bezeq? Repairing home phone lines.
There is now talk of placing checkpoints outside Arab neighborhoods to prevent terrorists from leaving or imposing a curfew on them altogether.
Last night, I had to take (because we are trying to minimize bus trips - there was a bus attacked today as well) one of my children to a place near where there were two terror attacks during the day yesterday. There were police on every corner and that is likely to be supplemented with army units. That is why police have been on the scene of each attack quickly and casualties have been minimized.
The good news is that the security forces believe that the attacks were coordinated, which would mean that these are not lone wolves and that there is a terror cell behind them that can be broken.
Keep praying for us - living like this is quite stressful....
It's been a very difficult day in Jerusalem, one best symbolized by this bicycle, belonging to 13-year old Naor ben Rut, who was stabbed today while riding it in Jerusalem's Pisgat Zev neighborhood, and who is now fighting for his life at a local hospital.
Naor was stabbed by one of two brothers who went on a stabbing spree together.
Two brothers, Ahmad and Muhamad Manasra, 13&15 years old are the ones who did the terror attack today in Pisgat Zeev. From Bet Hanina
It seems like they're all terrorists. But they're not. The problem is that their leadership is made up of terrorists, who are abetted by the Israeli and international Left.
Over dinner tonight, Mrs. Carl described an Israel Radio interview last week with an Arab woman who teaches in an Israeli school in Bnei Brak of all places. The interviewer kept trying to get the woman - whose husband teaches in an Arab school - to say something horrible about Israelis and/or Jews.
But the woman wasn't biting. She said that she would never say or advocate for such foolish things, because she wishes to live in Israel and in peace with Jews. She doesn't need or want a 'Palestinian state' and her husband feels the same way.
Unfortunately, there's a family in Beit Hanina that feels differently. They taught their two sons to murder Jews, and one of them is now dead.
Meanwhile, a Jewish boy from Pisgat Zev fights for his life.
I apologize to the Hebrew-impaired, but she's not exaggerating. Let's go to the videotape of the attack. Notice all the shopkeepers standing around like nothing is happening, some of them cheering.
Shavua tov u'moadim l'simcha, a happy holiday to all of you. Yes, that screen cap really was the BBC's headline of a terror attack in Jerusalem's Old City this evening in which two Israelis were murdered, and two other Israelis - one of them a toddler - were wounded.
And the Beeb wasn't the only one as some of the tweets below will show you. They were just the most blatant non-Arab example.
The biased headlines have almost caused social media to ignore the event itself.
Rabbi Nehemia Lavi, 41, and Aharon Banita Bennett, 21, have been named as the two Israelis murdered in a stabbing attack on Saturday night, which took place in Jerusalem's Old City and left two others wounded.
Bennett, along with his wife and two-year-old son, were attacked by
the terrorist; his wife was seriously wounded and the child lightly
wounded.
Rabbi Lavi, a father of seven, is originally from Beit El in Binyamin
north of Jerusalem, but has lived in the Old City for the past 23
years. He is a rabbi at Yeshivat Ateret Kohanim.
According to the rabbi's friends, he went down with his gun to try
and save those wounded by the Arab terrorist in the attack, but the
terrorist stabbed him and took his weapon.
The rabbi's funeral will take place on Sunday at 12 p.m., at the Har Hamenuchot Cemetery in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Lavi volunteered last summer to take an officer's course as
part of his IDF reserve duty, so as to become an officer in the army and
stay on longer.
May God Have mercy on and console the families and may they know of no more sorrow. And may God Avenge their blood.
Heart-rending: 9-year old Matan Henkin says Kaddish for his parents
We generally do not look to publicize sad things during the holiday. I am about to make an exception.
This is video from the funeral of Eitam and Naama Henkin HY"D (May God Avenge their blood). In the background is their 9-year old son Matan saying the Kaddish, the prayer that children say for the 11 months after their parents' deaths.
Let's go to the videotape.
This is from a description provided by a first responder to the attack.
"I was traveling from Itamar to Elon Moreh; my own two children were in the back of the car," he recounted to Walla! News. "Near Beit Furik, I see a car in front of me, flashing its headlights and honking. I understood that there was something odd."
"I pull over and see a man armed with an M-16 and recognize him as a friend of mine," he said. "I asked him what was going on, he said there was a terror attack, there are kids in the back."
Goren had arrived at the scene mere minutes after Fatah terrorists murdered Rabbi Eitam and Naama Henkin.
"I looked and saw that the wounded appeared to be in critical condition, so we decided to put the kids in my car for the time being; my friend meanwhile stood guard."
Goren called security forces and the IDF as he waited for help to arrive. The IDF's Mobile Intensive Care Unit arrived at the scene first, but armed soldiers took far longer to reach the site.
For the children's safety, Goren took his children and the Henkin children to Itamar; an ambulance met them there. Medical teams examined the children and a resident of Itamar took care of them while they waited for social services to arrive.
When he arrived, all four children seemed to have understood that something had happened, he said, and the eldest cried bitter tears while saying that someone murdered his parents.
Matan Hillel, the Henkins' nine-year-old, told Goren his name and their community. Later, when speaking to others, Goren realized that Matan probably saw the terrorist's face during the shooting. All four children were traumatized, he said.
There's another heart-rending piece here, written by someone else whose parents were murdered by 'Palestinian' terrorists (Hat Tip: Varda N).
Bat-Sheva Sadan, whose parents Eli and Dina Horowitz were murdered by terrorists, posted this moving message in Hebrew:
As usual, there will be torrents of words, countless exclamation
points, headlines painted in red and questions at the end of
every sentence, in the Israeli press. Some will be shocked, some will
condemn, some will blame, others will call for a response and many will
seek words of comfort.
If the murders are mentioned at all in the rest of the world's media, they will probably find a way to blame the victims.
...
But no one, no one at all, will find the words that can enter the
soul of seven-year-old Nitsan Yitzhak, who, just yesterday morning, held
his Four Species with a child's excitement while his father explained
how to hold them properly and his mother watched with joy in her eyes.
Today he awoke to the first day in a life where he will be unable to say
"Look, Abba – Listen, Imma!"
And no one will ask or write about Matan Hillel, the eldest child,
all of nine years old. whose life will never be the same. And
although Matan knows much about so many things, he will not be able to
learn the hardest lesson in his life with his father. And although he is
only nine, he is already thinking about his Bar Mitzva.
He already realizes that there will be masses of people
there, relatives and uncles, neighbors and friends, but no father will
say the traditional words "Blessed is He Who has absolved me
from responsibility [for the boy's sins now that he has reached
maturity].'" And when he looks at the women's section, there won't be
a mother gazing at him with a smile filled with trust and confidence in
his ability.
And no one will find the words to contain the thoughts of
four-year-old Neta Eliezer, who is used to countless kisses and hugs,
and a mother who tells him how sweet he is while she presses him to her,
and whose father will never again place him on his knee to teach him
his letters, and tell him of the sweetness of Torah verses. That's it.
Not a vestige of all of this will remain.
We have no way of knowing if he will remember those moments when
Imma bent down to hear a long sentence that he said to her, or when Abba
allowed him to feel important, holding the car keys. We don't even know
if he will remember how they looked, their smell, the sounds of their
voices.
All the things little Itamar needs will be bought, diapers and
bottles, formula and wipes will be donated, but no one will ask, no one
among all those murmuring words will look at this four-month-old baby
and ask: Isn't it true that none of these formulas are as tasty
as mother's milk?
We don't want to hear the answer anyway.
Because anyone who has ever felt a mother's hug and has seen
himself reflected in his father's eyes, will always be able to tell
the difference between a substitute and the real thing.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameyach to all of you. May these be the last deaths and may they return to the world of the living with the Messiah's arrival speedily and in our time.
For those who have been in a cave for the last 18 hours or so (no, I have not been - I spent yesterday with the family and only tweeted about it last night), Eitam and Naama Henkin HY"D (May God Avenge their blood) were murdered last night by 'Palestinian' terrorists affiliated with the 'moderate' Fatah group of 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud AbbasAbu Mazen in front of four of their six children.
Eitam was the son of Rav Yehuda and Rabbanit Hannah Henkin, the author of the Bnei Banim responsa and the founder of Nishmat, respectively. He was the great grandson or Rav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, one of the most prominent American rabbis of the mid-20th century and author of the Gvurot Eliyahu responsa.
An affiliate of the 'moderate' Fatah terror organization has taken responsibility for the attack.
The funeral took place on Friday morning, but because of the holiday, the shiva (one-week intense mourning period) does not start until Monday night. The family asked the media not to live broadcast the funeral ceremony (the media here often broadcasts funerals of terror victims).
Rabbanit Henkin eulogized her son Friday, noting that he had been a wellspring of support and nachas, joy and fulfillment, for her and the Rabbi.
"We had a special language between us of Torah and Halakha [Jewish
law - ed.]," the Rabbanit stated. "You continued in the Torah ways of
your father and grandfather, with talent, with integrity; you were a man
of Torah in all things."
"You wrote a book on Jewish law in your twenties; people did not believe you were so young," she continued.
[President Reuven] Rivlin also eulogized the couple.
"We don't give eulogies on Chol HaMoed [intermediate days of Passover
and Sukkot - ed.], but you cannot stand silent in the face of a father
and mother, who were well-loved, who were murdered at the hands of
a murderous savage and robbed their children of their parents," Rivlin
began.
"Like many of the people of Israel, I learned about your personality
too late," he continued. "This morning I was shown some of the Torah
works the Rabbi wrote during the short years of his life. What we can we
say? That we lost a brave and original scholar? That we lost a huge
rabbi, who hails from a family of giants, a man of letters who was also a
man of action - or that we simply lost a loving father?"
Rivlin noted that Naama wrote him personally after the murder of 25 year-old Danny Gonen in June.
"I told you that the responsibility for the security of all the
[Judea-Samaria] residents is in our hands, and that I would visit every
home whose light had been extinguished [i.e. from terror - ed.]," Rivlin
stated. "I never thought I would then be coming to visit your home."
Rivlin vowed not only to embrace the bereaved Henkin children, but
also to keep a principle of togetherness from the Mishna the Henkins
proudly posted on their Sukkah - "They will be connected unto one union, and will atone for one another." (Hebrew: יקושרו כולם, אגודה אחת, והן מכפרין, אלו על אלו).
"Naama, I promise you that the embrace we see today from the
whole nation will not stop," he said. "This was your will, and so it
will be actualized - this is the togetherness in which you invested."
US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro unequivocally condemned the attack. But his bosses at the State Department did not. From my Twitter feed:
What point of bringing terrorists 2 justice if ultimately US will force Israel 2 release them anyway? .@AmbShapirohttps://t.co/Q3e6szwu5x
Still waiting to hear more unequivocal condemnations of these heinous murders financed indirectly by the United States and the European Union. By the way, Abu Mazen has had nothing to say thus far.
Netanyahu last night: "our entire leadership denounced the attack in Duma. I visited the family; why is Abbas silent now on this attack?"
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
