BICOM

The US Ambassador to Israel condemned Palestinian support for terrorism in the aftermath of an attack in the West Bank that killed Rabbi Raziel Shevah.

David Friedman tweeted Wednesday morning: “An Israeli father of six was killed last night in cold blood by Palestinian terrorists. Hamas praises the killers and the (Palestinian Authority) PA laws will provide them financial rewards. Look no further to why there is no peace.”

Ambassador Friedman’s tweet was praised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who told attendees at an event for the foreign press: “I want to congratulate US Ambassador Friedman, who tweeted the truth, unvarnished, straightforward. He said some important things: [PA President] Abbas’s government is supporting murderers who murdered the father of six. People like this who sit in prison receive $350m each year. This is unacceptable.”

The PA, which has refused to engage in peace talks with Israel unless the Trump administration rescinds US President Donald Trump’s Jerusalem announcement, said that Ambassador Friedman’s remarks “reflected his prejudiced and selective attitude towards the occupation, settlements construction, and the Palestinian just and legitimate national rights”.

The PA claimed that “Friedman’s remarks and positions further complicated the road towards the peace process and the resumption of negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian sides,” adding that such comments “encourage the occupation authorities and the settlers to commit more crimes violating the defenceless Palestinian citizens, their land, their property, their sanctities and their trees”.

The Israeli military continue to search the area in order to locate those responsible for the murder of Shevah including setting up roadblocks and checkpoints and entering Palestinian areas surrounding the city of Nablus, in parallel to the ongoing investigation and intelligence activity.

It is believed that the perpetrators were part of a cell that planned the attack in advance due to the precision fire on Shevah’s vehicle and the use of a military-grade M16 rifle.

Yesterday Shevah became the first person to be buried in the Havat Gilad outpost, where he lived. Education Minister Naftali Bennett gave a eulogy at the funeral but was interrupted by angry mourners who called for revenge.