Yesha Council Chairmen to DM Ya’alon: Recognize Avi as a Victim of Terror

Eighteen council chairmen from the Yehuda and Shomron regions signed a letter to Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon in which they demand that the murder of Avi Ben-Tzion HY”D, be recognized as a nationalistically motivated attack. “There is not a shadow of a doubt that Avi was robbed because he was a Jew and murdered because he was a Jew.”

Eighteen council chairmen from Yehuda and Shomron joined the campaign led by Avi Ben-Tzion’s family and sent an urgent letter on Monday, 7 Teves to Defense Minister Ya’alon in which they demand that Ben-Tzion’s murder be recognized as nationalistically motivated terror attack and that a renewed investigation of the incident be opened.

The letter came following an announcement by the police that the murder of Avi Ben-Tzion, who was critically injured on 9 Kislev at the Migdalim Junction in the Shomron (he succumbed to his injuries the following day) was a criminal incident.

Ben-Tzion’s family held a press conference with the assistance of Honenu, which is providing the family with legal counsel, and announced that they will not stop their campaign until his murder is recognized as a nationalistically motivated act of terror.

“Approximately three weeks ago Avi Ben-Tzion, a farmer from [Moshav] Netiv HaGedud, was found unconscious on the ground at the Alon [Migdalim] Junction suffering from a serious head injury,” wrote the council chairmen to Ya’alon. “Avi, an ardent agriculturalist, one of the first to settle the Jordan Valley, a company commander in the Golani Brigade, a Zionist with all his heart and soul, fought a serious injury, but died the following day from his wounds. The police announced that three Arabs from the town of Akraba were detained and admitted to carrying out the murder, however to our astonishment the police claim that it was a criminal incident, and not nationalistically motivated,” wrote the council chairmen and specified their position concerning the phenomenon of car-jacking in Yehuda and Shomron.

“There is no need go into detail about the car-jacking phenomenon. The perpetrators of the acts are Arabs, and only Jewish cars are targeted. In the past incidents have occurred in which terrorists have attempted to carry out attacks disguised as car-jacking,” noted the regional council heads and added that, “There is not a shadow of a doubt that Avi was robbed because he was a Jew and murdered because he was a Jew. According to what the police reported to the family, the assailants attempted to verify that their victim was dead [after leaving him on the ground they drove his car over him in reverse] before they left the scene, something which is not characteristic of a criminal incident and definitely stems from hate and the desire to murder a Jew.”

The council chairmen also mentioned that the information that the family has raises “many questions, and that is an understatement, about how the investigation was handled and its results.”

“We call on you to order the reopening of the investigation, to order the freezing of the filing of the indictment of the suspects until complete clarification of the murder, and also to order recognition of Avi as a terror victim,” they wrote to Ya’alon. “Additionally we expect that as the one responsible for the security of the State of Israel that you act to find an immediate solution to the phenomenon of car-jacking and order the defense establishment to treat these incidents as terror attacks for all intents and purposes. It cannot be that Jews traveling on roads will be abandoned.”

Copies of the letter were sent to Major-General Danny Efroni, the Military Advocate General, Police Chief Yochanan Danino, Kobi Cohen, the Yehuda and Shomron Police District Commander, Major-General Nitzan Alon, the General Officer Commanding of the Central Command and Avichai Mandelblit, the Cabinet Secretary.

The following public figures signed the letter:

David Alhayani, Jordan Valley Regional Council Chairman,

Eli Schaviro, Mayor of Ariel,

Benny Kashriel, Mayor of Maale Adumim,

Avi Roeh, Yesha Council Chairman and Binyamin Regional Council Chairman, Gershon Mesika, Shomron Regional Council Chairman,

Ze’ev Haber, Secretary General of Amana,

David Perel, Gush Etzion Regional Council Chairman,

Yochai Dimri, Har Herron Regional Council Chairman,

Shai Alon, Beit El Local Council Chairman,

Yossi Avrahami, Givat Ze’ev Local Council Chairman,

Chananel Dorani, Kedumim Local Council Chairman,

Ezra Gershi, Emmanuel Local Council Chairman,