17 December '12..
While our good friend Yehudit Tayar has more than adequately covered yesterday's events in her piece Rocks Are Lethal Weapons, I would like to add just a bit more to fill out the picture.
This as Yehudit described it was the setting for our day:
Today was another continuation of the trials in Opher Military court of the terrorist gang, who over a year ago murdered Asher and Yonatan Palmer HY"D on Highway 60- the Hevron Jerusalem Highway.
Today was supposed to be the summary of the defense of Ali, one of the terrorists who was in the vehicle during the time of the terror attack that resulted in the murder, when a huge boulder was heaved from a moving car towards the car that Asher, a young father and his infant son,Yonatan – not yet a year old were in.
During the entire trial the defense attorney repeatedly tried to persuade the military court and the prosecution that there had been previous cases of Arabs throwing rocks, and that their reasons for the attacks were, "in order to punish, or injure or kill Jews."
The lawyer's main point being that any of the choices were acceptable to rock-throwers but non-specific, thereby preventing a charge of 1st degree murder which requires specific intention.
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Returning on Rt. 60, the primary North-South route that takes both ourselves as well residents of the various Arab cities and villages adjoining the road to their homes, one passes a town of approximately 15,000+ by the name of Beit Ummar, known for one as sporting a neighborhood honoring former Pres. Jimmy Carter and wife Roslyn. One wanting to see how the Carter vision of peace works out on the ground, this is certainly a good place to start.
But there is another reason that Beit Ummar can draw our attention. At 3:45 in the afternoon, the traffic becomes heavy, slow, and the schools are out. Without giving it a second thought, alertness takes over, and a second away from impact, the eyes catch the 2-armed motion of a rock or block being heaved over the protective fence above us. You pull your head back from the windshield area, or try, a tight grip on the wheel, veer to the right, as maybe it will overshoot the car. The glass on the driver's side is hit, I look to Melody, she's o.k., look to my arms for injury, also o.k., begin looking for soldiers, none, as they're busy already down the road. In the end we'll arrive at the IDF base at Carmi Tzur who dispatch assistance before other drivers are hit. B"H, we were very fortunate, and our Moked/Security department drove out to greet us and check that we were o.k.
Earlier this year, a resident of Carmi Tzur, encountered a far more frightening scenario than ours, same location, captured on video by members of the press having advanced warning (invitations?) of what would occur.
SassVideo
We believe we are #4 this last 7 days, however this week B"H, no major injuries. This has not always been the case as the deaths of Asher and Yonatan Palmer Hy"d attest.
What I'd like to close with is from our good friends, Arnold and Frimet Roth whose header for their blog is as follows:
This Ongoing War -
Many people lack a factual understanding of events in our region because the media often report them inadequately. Our daughter Malki, murdered at the age of 15 in a restaurant massacre in Jerusalem, was a victim of jihadist hatred and barbarism. For jihadism and terrorism to end in Israel, in New York, in Madrid, in London, and everywhere else, people need to first understand the scale on which it is happening. This ongoing war is killing us.
I highly recommend following their blog at http://thisongoingwar.blogspot.co.il/
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