In the wake of yesterday’s brutal terror attack leaving a young couple and three of their young children brutally murdered, grisly photos of the victims are making the rounds around the web. Even though I have been informed the family of the victims have given permission for the photos to be released, to help “explain the horrific reality of murdering children and babies in their sleep simply because they are Jewish”, I cannot bring myself to do it. There are plenty of other blogs who are doing it, so I recommend you visit those if you don’t mind seeing the photos.
I, for one, did see the photos last night, and may have gotten one hours sleep if I was lucky.
In the meantime, I will attempt to post updates during the day.
Update: The Fogel family has been laid to rest.
Thousands of Israelis turned out at the Givat Shaul cemetery in Jerusalem on Sunday for the funerals of five members of the same family killed Friday night in a brutal attack in their home at the West Bank settlement of Itamar.
—-
Vice Premier and Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Yaalon spoke during the funeral, saying the Itamar terror attack highlights an existential threat to Israel.
“This murder reminds everyone that the struggle and conflict is not about Israel’s borders or about independence of a repressed nation but a struggle for our existence. Therefore, we cannot continue speaking about security while the essence is neglected – the essence which is Israel’s right to its land,” said Yaalon.
“Whoever gives up this right won’t have security either. In this difficult hour we must rise from the rubble and do the most natural thing – continue building and developing Israel,” Yaalon continued.
Motti Fogel, brother of Udi Fogel, eulogized his younger brother but warned that his death cannot be used as a tool in a national struggle.
“All of the slogans we hear are trying to efface the simple fact that you’re dead, and nothing can efface that. This funeral has to be a private affair,” Fogel said, adding: “A man dies to himself, to his children. Udi, you are no a national event. You’re horrible death mustn’t make your life into a tool.”
“Udi, my young brother, you made me wake up today at 6:15 in the morning, and you know how hard that is for me. Everything I could say would be a cliché. If I could, I’d chase out everyone who came here and whisper to you, ‘Udi, let’s go play soccer.'”
Tzila, Udi’s mother, also addressed the funeral crowd, saying: “We shall try to be strong, to strengthen the children and each other.”
“They are martyrs murdered by vicious animals. We shall neither forger or forgive. Another victim and another victim, and everyone continues with their daily lives,” Fogel said, adding: “When will the people rise up and tell the government: ‘enough’? When will repay our enemies?”
Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger also spoke during the funeral saying, “These murderers did not succeed in breaking us, they succeeded in uniting us. Today there is not left or right, there is no person that can remain apathetic.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday that Palestinian Authority incitement against Israel was instrumental in causing the attack.
“We bare witness to horrific things,” Netanyahu said. “A soccer game will soon be named after a suicide bomber who murdered dozens of people on Yafo Street in Jerusalem. The Palestinian Authority grants scholarships to the families of murderers and names squares in their honor. This does not show the PA is educating toward peace.”
