News Update
Terror in Jerusalem: Yesterday morning, 42-year-old Fadi Abu Shkhaydam from Shuafat refugee camp in Jerusalem, a respected teacher at a high school — who was also a senior member of the Hamas political wing and who prayed at the Al Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount every day — opened fire on Jews on their way to and from the Western Wall. Eli David Kay, a 26 year old from Modiin, was killed and two other Jews, both rabbis, were wounded. One of the wounded remains in serious condition. Two of the policemen who managed to kill the terrorist were also wounded. The terrorist’s wife and children left for Jordan 3 days before the attack, making it clear that they were aware of his murderous intentions. The attack took place on a street that is one of the primary way that locals and tourists walk through the Old City to visit the Western Wall.
Eli David Kay, Z”L, immigrated to Israel from South Africa several years ago and served as a paratrooper in the IDF. He was currently working as a tour guide at the Western Wall and was on his way to morning prayers there when he was gunned down for no reason other than because he was an Israeli and a Jew. His parents and younger sister immigrated to Israel a few months ago and live in Modiin [in the community that I am part of]. They just celebrated his older brother’s marriage. Eli was engaged to be married in just a few months. He was laid to rest today in Jerusalem’s Har Hamenuchot cemetery. Thousands attended his funeral. May his memory serve as a blessing for us all.
PM Bennett pledged to increase security in Jerusalem’s Old City. The US State Department condemned the terror attack saying, “We strongly condemn the terrorist attack today by a Hamas gunman in Jerusalem’s Old City, which killed one person and injured others. We offer our condolences to the victims and their families.”
Hundreds of Palestinians in Shuafat rallied in support of the terrorist. The crowd set tires on fire and threw rocks at Border Police forces that arrived at the scene while chanting “the martyrs are going to Jerusalem in the millions”. They also called for a general strike in the neighborhood today. The terrorist attended the Al Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount daily, where he incited worshippers against Israel. Hamas praised the terrorist in an official statement, saying that “the Holy City continues to fight against the foreign occupier, and will not surrender to the occupation.”
[Warning: The words within these brackets are my personal opinion. If you aren’t interested in that, just skip on to the next story.
Dear Friends, how can we go on living this way, allowing those who rejoice in murdering us to live within our holiest city, the capital of our state? How can we continue to let a mosque that preaches our destruction exist on our holiest place, the Temple Mount? At least in the Middle East, Islam is a religion of war and destruction against those who do not accept its primacy. It is a religion that propagates Jihad, holy war, and is bent on the destruction of the Jewish State in what they consider to be their domain.
On the other hand, the Jewish nation continues to bend over backwards to placate those who seek its destruction. Can you imagine the Moslems allowing a synagogue in the center of Mecca? Or perhaps a synagogue in St. Peter’s Square in Rome? No, I don’t think so.
Is it because we fear the wrath of the Moslem world? They’ve already started several wars with us, and have been soundly defeated each time. And the moment they feel that they can prevail over us, will be the day the next war begins. But they don’t have the power. Syria is barely functioning as a state. Same with Lebanon and Iraq. Egypt and Jordan have no interest in fighting us again — and they don’t have the military might to do so. And Iran? Aren’t they already out to destroy us?
World opinion? Will the world consider us a pariah nation if we act in our own interest of survival? Much of the world already does, and always has, and yet they deal with us because of what they feel they can gain from us. Perhaps we should have done something permanent to defend ourselves during the last US administration. But times have changed.
The bottom line is that a situation where Jews must risk their lives to pray at the Western Wall in the sovereign State of Israel is simply absurd. We can’t let it continue. No country or people would.
That’s the end of my words. If you strongly disagree and feel the need to tell me so, please don’t. Just keep on reading the news, or click on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email. All angry emails will be ignored and deleted.]
Also yesterday, an 18-year-old Palestinian from Jenin stabbed an elderly Jewish Israeli man in Jaffa. The victim survived the attack with moderate wounds. Police arrested the terrorist shortly after the attack, on a nearby street.
PM Naftali Bennett announced that the coronavirus vaccination campaign for children aged 5-11 will begin on Tuesday.
