Police on erev shabbos released a suspect in his 20s after he defaced a Tel Aviv memorial for Yitzchak Rabin. The suspect’s parents were murdered in a terror attack and when the suspect was apprehended, he explained he reacted to the news of the release of 1,027 Arab terrorists in the upcoming Gilad Shalit prisoner release deal. The suspect was released however with the stipulation that he remains outside of Tel Aviv for 15 days.

Some of the responses to the incident:

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai: “We should cut off the hands of those who dare to deface that which is holy and important to the Jewish People”.

Organizers of the annual Rabin memorial: Now more than ever we must to what it takes to hold a memorial this year. (The event was canceled as organizers realize the waning interest over recent years may prove an embarrassment). “The vandal attack is a painful reminder why more than ever we must hold the event this year”.

MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari: “The young man arrested in the attack was gentle in his expression of anger regarding the anger felt by victims of terror. The release of the terrorists (Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal) is appropriate for an anarchic society, not a nation of law and order. Even the Rabin memorial has lost its reverence”.

Meretz: The left-wing party decried the vandalism attack, calling it an act of “hooliganism and violence aimed at striking out against the memory of Yitzchak Rabin and to prevent the release of Gilad Shalit. Meretz and the People of Israel support the government’s decision to free the terrorists to bring Shalit home, and we call on law enforcement agencies to stop the policy of remaining silent in the face of Price Tag attacks that have become regular occurrences.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)