Israel News for 3-30-2022
News Update
Terror in Bnei Brak: A terrorist with an M-16 assault rifle drove into the central city of Bnei Brak and began searching for targets. He first shot and killed 2 Ukrainian foreign workers outside of a grocery store. Then he shot and killed a man sitting in a car and then another man holding an toddler. The infant miraculously survived unhurt. As he was looking for more victims, 2 anti-terror policemen on motorcycles raced to the scene and got into a shootout with the terrorist. One of the policemen was killed, and the terrorist was killed. The bravery of the policemen undoubtedly prevented a much larger and more deadly terrorist attack.
The terrorist was from Y’abed, a town near Jenin (West Bank), and was affiliated with Islamic Jihad. He had been imprisoned for six months in 2013 for involvement in arms sales and planning terror attacks. Investigators believe that he received assistance crossing the barrier into Israel and was given his weapon after he crossed. Security forces raided Y’abed last night and arrested 7 suspects, including 5 members of the terrorist’s family. The terrorist’s home was also mapped for demolition. Earlier on Tuesday, security forces arrested 12 people suspected of having ties with the Islamic State terror group, in raids on several northern Arab towns. To read more about how Israel’s security forces are dealing with the terror spree, click here.
Hundreds of Palestinian Arabs publicly celebrated the terror attack in several Arab towns and cities and also outside the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City near the Damascus Gate.
The victims of the terror attack were:
Sergeant Amir Khoury, 32, from Nof Hagalil, was one of the policemen who killed the terrorist. He was a Christian Arab who served on the police force with great pride. His father was also a policeman. [One of the victims in Monday’s terror attack in Hadera was Yezen Falah, a Druze member of the Border Police. The fact that Christian Arabs and Druze are willing to risk their lives and serve in the Israeli army and police says a lot about the way Israel treats its non Jewish minorities. It also reflects proudly on the members of those communities who serve.] He will be laid to rest in the military cemetery in his hometown.
Yaakov Shalom, 36, from Bnei Brak, left behind a wife and five children. He was laid to rest today.
Rabbi Avishai Yehezkel, 29, from Bnei Brak, left behind a wife and a two-year-old boy. He was out with the boy when he was gunned down, but managed to shield the child with his body. He was laid to rest today.
The identities of the two Ukrainian foreign workers killed has not yet been released.
On Monday, Border Police officers and victims of the Hadera terror attack, Yezen Falah and Shirel Abukarat were laid to rest in respective funeral processions attended by thousands of mourners.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz met yesterday with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman. Gantz told the king of the steps that Israel intends to take to enable freedom of worship in Jerusalem and the West Bank and the government’s initiatives to improve the quality of lives the the Palestinians, while still preserving Israeli’s security interests. The office of Jordan’s King Abdullah II said the meeting was in line with efforts lead by the king, in an attempt to create “a real horizon for establishing a justified comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, while maintaining the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem and the holy places which would ensure freedom of worship for Ramadan’s prayers.” President Herzog went to Jordan today to also meet with the King.
