Many Yidden around the world were mispallel for the recovery of Adele Biton HY”D, who was niftar in Shevat 5775 at the age of 5, a number of years after being gravely injured in a vehicular accident. She was traveling in a vehicle with her mother when they came under attack by Arabs hurling stones on the Trans-Samaria Highway. She was 3 at the time of the attack and accident, which left her fighting for her life and when her condition stabilized, she spent most of her remaining time in rehabilitation due to the neurological damage she sustained.

Mrs. Edva Biton, Adele’s mother, told Galei Yisrael Radio that when her daughter died she does not remember President Rivlin or Prime Minister Netanyahu visiting her. She expressed her anger over the actions and statements of President Reuven Rivlin whose has spoken out and visited with family members of the victims following the arson attack in Duma, which claimed the life of an Arab infant and left three others badly burned.

She stressed that while she has the utmost respect for President Rivlin, she does not understand his actions following the attack in the PA (Palestinian Authority) village. She explained he never visited her or Adele in the hospital, and never spoke out so sternly as he has done in this case. Mrs. Biton stated the same is true regarding Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who has made phone calls and hospital visits. She added the media covers such events differently as well, depending if the victim is Arab or Jewish. She spoke of the events that occur daily throughout Yehuda and Shomron, serious attacks, but most of these attacks are not reported in the media. She highlighted the fact that she is in no way approving of the fatal arson attack and one should not misinterpret her words, but her point is she does not understand the behavior of state leaders as compared to their response after Jews are killed. “…but chevra, what is happening here? I feel we are stigmatizing the kippa sruga community and they come to me as one of them. What connection do I have to these murderers? What connection to the murderers?

“I think we must denounce this act in every possible way. This is a murder of a baby. I permit myself to speak since I lost my daughter on the backdrop of hatred but dozens if not hundreds of people in Israel have lost their children in terror attack and all kinds of incitement, so I am asking, please, let’s not begin to be here. Everyone gets on the airwaves and is squeamish. We should be proud of our people”.

Mrs. Biton repeated the prime minister did not visit her as we have seen in recent days regarding the victims of the attack in Duma. “The honorable president did not come to me. The prime minister did not visit me”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)