Israel in shock over brutal murder
The northern Israeli town of Nazareth Illit is emerging from a period of mourning this weekend, following the murder last week of a young resident.
A Palestinian terrorist stabbed Eden Atias while he was asleep on a Tel Aviv-bound bus at the central bus station in the Jezreel Valley. The 19-year-old was evacuated to hospital, but died of his wounds.
He was a new recruit to the army, and was sitting in his seat wearing his uniform at the time of the attack. The Israel Defence Force said that the attack was carried out in “cold blood” and described it as “brutal.”
Israel’s President Shimon Peres said that the nation was “appalled” by the murder and declared himself “confident that the government will do everything in its power to ensure events like this never happen again.” Paying tribute to the soldier he said: “Every soul in Israel is an entire world in our hearts.”
The attacker was a 16-year-old Palestinian from a village near Jenin in the West Bank. He had entered Israel illegally, and appears to have acted independently, therefore not generating any intelligence warnings for Israel. A security official managed to detain him after the attack, and as of press time he was in police custody.
The murder continues a string of Palestinian violence against Israelis. Since the summer, a soldier was murdered in Hebron, a restaurant worker was murdered by a colleague, and a retired army colonel was murdered outside his West Bank home. It was unclear until last week whether the murder of the colonel was a terrorist incident or a criminal murder, but then two suspects told investigators that they carried out the crime because of the man’s military background, considering the act a “gift to the Palestinian people.”
The latest incident has strengthened calls from hawkish figures in Israeli politics for Jerusalem to halt concessions to the Palestinians, especially the ongoing release of terrorists serving in Israeli prisons which is taking place as a result of peace talks.
This demand is heard even in the upper echelons of the defence establishment, with some influential politicians claiming that releasing terrorists as other terrorists are committing crimes sends out the wrong message. “The release of convicted murderers over the past few months has not moved the Palestinians one iota closer to accepting the existence of the Jewish State,” deputy defence minister Danny Danon commented to The AJN. “Instead, these releases have encouraged the terrorists to believe that they can murder Israelis knowing that it is likely they will be released in a few years’ time in the name of ‘peace.’”
The Afula attack appears to have inspired a revenge attack by some angry Israelis. Residents of a Palestinian village reported an arson attack on their house the day afterwards. Five residents of the home were treated for smoke inhalation. Spray painted graffiti at the scene said: “Regards from Eden, revenge.”
NATHAN JEFFAY
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