Kobi Mendel and Yosef Ishran, both 14, from Tekoa, were viciously murdered last night near the settlement. Mendel was laid to rest this afternoon in the Kfar Etzion cemetery and Ishran was buried at the Har Menuhot cemetery in Jerusalem.
The bodies of the boys were found this morning near Tekoa, east of the Etzion bloc, south of Bethlehem. The bodies were found in a cave, and showed signs of abuse. It is believed they were murdered by local Palestinians. A preliminary examination revealed they were stoned to death. IDF soldiers patrolled the area searching for the killers, who apparently escaped to Palestinian Authority (PA)-controlled territory immediately after the murders.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called the settlers, “great heroes of our time”. Sharon emphasized, “Such heroism has not been seen in a long time. They are on the front line, and their heroism allows us to protect the State of Israel.”
Sharon added, “The murder in Tekoa is a terrible deed, and is the result of the Palestinian Authority’s unwillingness to fulfill its commitments to fight terrorism. To our regret, Palestinian security forces are the key elements in terrorism today. They cooperate with Hamas and Hizballah, which is deepening its activities here.”
Sharon said, “The unceasing murderous incitement by the Palestinian media, which is under Arafat’s total control, is the cause of the escalation.”
Senior PA official Saeb Erekat said in the wake of the murders, “The PA condemns the murder of civilians and children, whether Jewish or Arab, Israeli or Palestinian.” Erekat claimed the responsibility for the continuing killing falls on Prime Minister Sharon and his government, which has rejected every initiative to date to reduce the violence, calm emotions and resume negotiations, he said.
Violence continued to escalate in the territories today. There were heavy exchanges of fire this afternoon in the Rafiah area in the southern portion of the Gaza Strip. Palestinians claim a 3-month old baby girl was seriously wounded by fragments of a shell fired by an Israeli tank.
The tanks returned fire after an anti-tank grenade was fired at them.
Scores of settlers and Palestinians clashed in central Hebron until security forces were finally able to separate the sides.
Published by Israel's Business Arena on 9 May 2001