Two Hamas terrorists, Marwan Kawasme (29) and Amar Abu Aisha (32) responsible for the kidnapping and murder of three
Israeli teenagers, Gilad Shaar (16), Naftali Frankel (16), and Eyal
Yifrach (19).have been killed in a shoot-out in Hebron.
From Aruz Sheva:
"We have been pursuing these two since the abduction,” said
Judea and Samaria Division Commander Brig. Gen. Tamir Yadai. “Last night
the investigation ripened as regards their location and we have been
surrounding the place where they were hiding since 1:00 a.m. We killed
them and there are arrests of several other collaborators.”
"We began arresting suspects and at the same time we applied [IDF] 'pressure cooker' protocol on the house.
It is a big house and they hid out in a secret arms store on the
basement floor. The floor is not visible from the outside. At one stage
they went outside and opened fire. One was shot and the other fell
inside, into a hole.”
"There was use of weapons, like hand grenades and the deployment of
explosives that were prepared ahead of time,” he added. “We know that
they have been staying in this location quite a lot in the last few
days. We know for certain that they were not here the whole time. They
had weapons like M-16s, a Kalachnikov and handguns, too.”
Kawasmeh's close relative Hussam was arrested in Jerusalem in August for planning the attack, which was carried out physically by Marwan, along with Amer Abu-Eisha.
The abduction and murder reportedly was planned by a third
Kawasmeh, Mahmoud, along with Hussam, under the support of Hamas's
military branch, the Al-Qassam Brigades, through their branches both in Gaza and abroad.
May the families of Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frankel, and Eyal
Yifrach and all of Israel find comfort and peace in the coming year.
Showing posts with label Eyal Yifrach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eyal Yifrach. Show all posts
Monday, September 22, 2014
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Memorial Vigil for our sons, our brothers, our boys at Berkeley Congregation Beth Israel tonight
Join Berkeley's Congregation Beth Israel 1630 Bancroft Way, Berkeley this evening for a memorial vigil for our people’s beloved sons, Eyal Yifrach, Naftali Fraenkel, and Gilad Shaar, z”l. Mincha and maa’ariv services will take placed at 6:45 pm, followed by a memorial vigil led by Elishav and Ma’ayan Rabinovich.
Message from the beloved Rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel, Rabbi Cohen:
This morning our hearts are broken as our people’s beloved sons, Eyal, Naftali, and Gilad are laid to rest.
Like so many of you, for the past 18 days these boys have been in my heart, in my prayers and in my thoughts. Indeed, this very past Shabbat in shul, I urged all of us to try to identify with their pain, with their fears, and with their prayers. After all, they are our sons, they are our brothers, they are our family.
When news broke out yesterday, I was attending a Torah conference in New York City (where I will be for the remainder of this week). Many of the rabbis and scholars presenting at the conference came from Israel, many from towns in Gush Etzion specifically, many with personal connections to the families of the slain boys. During mincha, the afternoon prayer, many of us broke down in tears. Our deep feelings of profound loss, mourning, and helplessness, were simultaneously mitigated by feelings of unity, divine love, and communal support. They are our sons, they are our brothers, and we are a family.
In the late afternoon, I attended a prayer vigil that was organized by R. Avi Weiss and Yechivat Chovevei Torah in front of NYC’s Israeli consulate. During the vigil, R. Saul Berman, CBI’s founding rabbi, led us in a powerful recitation of psalms. Both he and Rabbi Weiss noted how unified Am Israel has been during this tragic period. Indeed, they are our sons, our brothers, and our family.
Immediately after the vigil, we marched to the UN, and as we made our way I suddenly realized that we were accompanied by hundreds of other individuals. We were not alone. The pain of this loss was shared across our entire people. Our moral outcry at the UN was simple: we asked that they view our Jewish boys as their own sons, as their own brothers, as their own family.
Tonight, our own CBI family will gather at the shul for a prayer and memorial vigil led by Elishav and Ma’ayan. Mincha services will be held at 6:45 pm, followed by ma'ariv at 7 pm, and the vigil. This will be our opportunity, among others, to express our pain and our prayers. This will be our moment, among others, to proclaim with all our hearts and all our soul and all our might: they were our sons, they were our brothers, they were our family.
I urge all of us to attend mincha and ma’ariv services throughout this week (and summer) as well as prior to tonight’s vigil. We are in desperate need of prayer, and the world is in desperate need of prayer as well.
As Am Israel joins in mourning, our thoughts and prayers are particularly with the families of Eyal, Naphtali and Gilad whose parents have been incredible teachers for our entire Jewish nation these past few weeks through their grace, faith and advocacy. May the Holy One comfort them among all of us, for we too are counted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
May the souls of Eyal, Naftali and Gilad, be bound in the chain of life. May their memory be for a blessing.
R. Yonatan Cohen
Message from the beloved Rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel, Rabbi Cohen:
This morning our hearts are broken as our people’s beloved sons, Eyal, Naftali, and Gilad are laid to rest.
Like so many of you, for the past 18 days these boys have been in my heart, in my prayers and in my thoughts. Indeed, this very past Shabbat in shul, I urged all of us to try to identify with their pain, with their fears, and with their prayers. After all, they are our sons, they are our brothers, they are our family.
When news broke out yesterday, I was attending a Torah conference in New York City (where I will be for the remainder of this week). Many of the rabbis and scholars presenting at the conference came from Israel, many from towns in Gush Etzion specifically, many with personal connections to the families of the slain boys. During mincha, the afternoon prayer, many of us broke down in tears. Our deep feelings of profound loss, mourning, and helplessness, were simultaneously mitigated by feelings of unity, divine love, and communal support. They are our sons, they are our brothers, and we are a family.
In the late afternoon, I attended a prayer vigil that was organized by R. Avi Weiss and Yechivat Chovevei Torah in front of NYC’s Israeli consulate. During the vigil, R. Saul Berman, CBI’s founding rabbi, led us in a powerful recitation of psalms. Both he and Rabbi Weiss noted how unified Am Israel has been during this tragic period. Indeed, they are our sons, our brothers, and our family.
Immediately after the vigil, we marched to the UN, and as we made our way I suddenly realized that we were accompanied by hundreds of other individuals. We were not alone. The pain of this loss was shared across our entire people. Our moral outcry at the UN was simple: we asked that they view our Jewish boys as their own sons, as their own brothers, as their own family.
Tonight, our own CBI family will gather at the shul for a prayer and memorial vigil led by Elishav and Ma’ayan. Mincha services will be held at 6:45 pm, followed by ma'ariv at 7 pm, and the vigil. This will be our opportunity, among others, to express our pain and our prayers. This will be our moment, among others, to proclaim with all our hearts and all our soul and all our might: they were our sons, they were our brothers, they were our family.
I urge all of us to attend mincha and ma’ariv services throughout this week (and summer) as well as prior to tonight’s vigil. We are in desperate need of prayer, and the world is in desperate need of prayer as well.
As Am Israel joins in mourning, our thoughts and prayers are particularly with the families of Eyal, Naphtali and Gilad whose parents have been incredible teachers for our entire Jewish nation these past few weeks through their grace, faith and advocacy. May the Holy One comfort them among all of us, for we too are counted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
May the souls of Eyal, Naftali and Gilad, be bound in the chain of life. May their memory be for a blessing.
R. Yonatan Cohen
Monday, June 30, 2014
As we mourn our boys.
There has been a collective outpouring of grief within the Jewish community after our 3 missing boys were found murdered.
From the JCRC:
A Joint Statement from the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, The Jewish Federation/The Jewish Community Foundation of the East Bay and the American Jewish Committee
It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we mourn the murder of Naftali Fraenkel, 16, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Eyal Yifrah, 19, who were kidnapped on Thursday, June 12. Their bodies were found in the West Bank town of Halhul, located north of Hebron.
For the past 18 days, our Bay Area Jewish community and communities around the world have come together in support, in solidarity and in prayer. Our hearts are with their families during this terrible time, and we continue to stand with Israel as authorities search for the terrorists responsible for this heinous crime. We hope that the perpetrators are quickly apprehended and brought to justice.
May the memories of Naftali, Gilad and Eyal be blessings.
From StandWithUs
Our hearts are breaking at the horrific news of the murder of the three Israeli teenagers: Eyal Yifrah, Naftali Frankel and Gilad Shaer.
Israelis, Jews and people of goodwill around the world were consumed with worry following the cruel and cowardly kidnapping of the teens.
The news of their brutal murder is painful to absorb.
As we stood with and embraced their families following the kidnapping, we stand with them today, sharing their grief and wishing them strength at this tragic time.
This sad news reminds us that terrorists continue to act with impunity under Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. It reminds us that Hamas is a terrorist organization and has no place in any serious leadership or negotiating position. We see a clear link between the horrific acts of violence by Jihadists in Iraq and Syria and the acts of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian terror groups.
Hate education against Jews and Israelis continues unabated in the Palestinian Authority, Gaza and many Arab countries. The result is hatred, terrorism and murder. The institutionalized incitement against Jews and Israel permeates education, the media, mosques and other social institutions, directed and supported by the Palestinian leadership. This education produced the stomach-turning images of some Palestinians celebrating the boys` abduction. This "education" resulted in the murder of our three innocent boys.
The world has been united in keeping the boys and their families uppermost in its thoughts and prayers and will continue to do so now.
We pray for the strength that the families and our greater community will need to cope with this tragedy.
International pressure must be placed on the Palestinian Authority to stop the ongoing incitement to hatred, terrorism and murder. The Palestinian leadership, both Abbas and Hamas, must finally be held accountable for their actions. EU and American funding of the PA should be tied to that accountability.
We continue to support Israel`s security procedures that protect its citizens from acts of terror like this.
We join all of Israel, and good people around the world, in mourning Eyal, Naftali and Gilad.
May their memories be a blessing to all people of goodwill.
May G-d comfort the families among all the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
The StandWithUs Staff and Board of Directors
From the Consul General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest
Dear friends,
Following extensive searches led by the Israel Defense Forces, the Israel Security Agency and the Israel Police, the bodies of Eyal Yifrach (19), Gilad Sha'er (16) and Naftali Frenkel (16), who were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on June 12, 2014, were discovered today in the area northwest of Hebron.
The grief and sorrow of their families and loved ones is unimaginable and beyond anything words can describe.
All of us, who for the past 18 days have been hoping and praying for the boys' safe return home, grieve today along with their families.
At the beginning of today's security cabinet meeting, PM Benjamin Netanyahu stated: "In the name of the whole of Israel, I ask to tell the dear families - to the mothers, the fathers, the grandmothers and the grandfathers, the brothers and sisters - our hearts are bleeding, the whole nation is crying with them. We will bring the boys to be buried according to Jewish rites."
Outgoing President Shimon Peres has stated: "All of Israel bows its head today. For 18 days we hoped and prayed with one voice that we would find the boys safe and well. With this bitter news all of Israel mourns their deaths. Along with our deep sense of loss we remain committed to bringing the terrorists to justice. Our resolve in the fight against terror will only strengthen and we will ensure that murderous terrorism of this sort will not dare to rear its head again."
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Yifrach, Sha'er and Frenkel families.
Andy David
Consul General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest
From the Jewish National Fund
This afternoon the world learned of the killings of the three teenagers in Israel, Naftali Frenkel, 16, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Eyal Yifrach, 19. Our prayers and thoughts go out to their families and to all who knew and loved them.
In a way, their loss is one that we all share. Each of us came to know Naftali, Gilad and Eyal in the last two weeks through the global campaign #BringBackOurBoys. Their story and captivity brought people together from many backgrounds and nations to support their release. It was indeed an unprecedented display of emotion and community not seen in some time.
However, the fact remains that these young men were abducted and struck down for no reason. They were not soldiers but Jewish students who loved Israel, desired to learn Torah, and had their entire lives before them.
In tribute to their lasting memory, Jewish National Fund will create gardens to honor Naftali z"l, Gilad z"l and Eyal z"l.
In the meantime, we will honor the customs of our forefathers and grieve with the families who have lost so much. Our prayers are with them all.
May the families be comforted amongst the mourners of Zion and Yerushalayim.
May the families know no more sorrow.
**************
Well, maybe the collective outpouring of grief was not universal.
The ever repugnant Jewish Voice for Peace dehumanizes our children, even after their death., in an effort to score cheap political points.
From Jewish Voice for Peace
From the JCRC:
A Joint Statement from the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, The Jewish Federation/The Jewish Community Foundation of the East Bay and the American Jewish Committee
It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we mourn the murder of Naftali Fraenkel, 16, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Eyal Yifrah, 19, who were kidnapped on Thursday, June 12. Their bodies were found in the West Bank town of Halhul, located north of Hebron.
For the past 18 days, our Bay Area Jewish community and communities around the world have come together in support, in solidarity and in prayer. Our hearts are with their families during this terrible time, and we continue to stand with Israel as authorities search for the terrorists responsible for this heinous crime. We hope that the perpetrators are quickly apprehended and brought to justice.
May the memories of Naftali, Gilad and Eyal be blessings.
From StandWithUs
Our hearts are breaking at the horrific news of the murder of the three Israeli teenagers: Eyal Yifrah, Naftali Frankel and Gilad Shaer.
Israelis, Jews and people of goodwill around the world were consumed with worry following the cruel and cowardly kidnapping of the teens.
The news of their brutal murder is painful to absorb.
As we stood with and embraced their families following the kidnapping, we stand with them today, sharing their grief and wishing them strength at this tragic time.
This sad news reminds us that terrorists continue to act with impunity under Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. It reminds us that Hamas is a terrorist organization and has no place in any serious leadership or negotiating position. We see a clear link between the horrific acts of violence by Jihadists in Iraq and Syria and the acts of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian terror groups.
Hate education against Jews and Israelis continues unabated in the Palestinian Authority, Gaza and many Arab countries. The result is hatred, terrorism and murder. The institutionalized incitement against Jews and Israel permeates education, the media, mosques and other social institutions, directed and supported by the Palestinian leadership. This education produced the stomach-turning images of some Palestinians celebrating the boys` abduction. This "education" resulted in the murder of our three innocent boys.
The world has been united in keeping the boys and their families uppermost in its thoughts and prayers and will continue to do so now.
We pray for the strength that the families and our greater community will need to cope with this tragedy.
International pressure must be placed on the Palestinian Authority to stop the ongoing incitement to hatred, terrorism and murder. The Palestinian leadership, both Abbas and Hamas, must finally be held accountable for their actions. EU and American funding of the PA should be tied to that accountability.
We continue to support Israel`s security procedures that protect its citizens from acts of terror like this.
We join all of Israel, and good people around the world, in mourning Eyal, Naftali and Gilad.
May their memories be a blessing to all people of goodwill.
May G-d comfort the families among all the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
The StandWithUs Staff and Board of Directors
From the Consul General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest
Dear friends,
Following extensive searches led by the Israel Defense Forces, the Israel Security Agency and the Israel Police, the bodies of Eyal Yifrach (19), Gilad Sha'er (16) and Naftali Frenkel (16), who were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on June 12, 2014, were discovered today in the area northwest of Hebron.
The grief and sorrow of their families and loved ones is unimaginable and beyond anything words can describe.
All of us, who for the past 18 days have been hoping and praying for the boys' safe return home, grieve today along with their families.
At the beginning of today's security cabinet meeting, PM Benjamin Netanyahu stated: "In the name of the whole of Israel, I ask to tell the dear families - to the mothers, the fathers, the grandmothers and the grandfathers, the brothers and sisters - our hearts are bleeding, the whole nation is crying with them. We will bring the boys to be buried according to Jewish rites."
Outgoing President Shimon Peres has stated: "All of Israel bows its head today. For 18 days we hoped and prayed with one voice that we would find the boys safe and well. With this bitter news all of Israel mourns their deaths. Along with our deep sense of loss we remain committed to bringing the terrorists to justice. Our resolve in the fight against terror will only strengthen and we will ensure that murderous terrorism of this sort will not dare to rear its head again."
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Yifrach, Sha'er and Frenkel families.
Andy David
Consul General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest
From the Jewish National Fund
This afternoon the world learned of the killings of the three teenagers in Israel, Naftali Frenkel, 16, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Eyal Yifrach, 19. Our prayers and thoughts go out to their families and to all who knew and loved them.
In a way, their loss is one that we all share. Each of us came to know Naftali, Gilad and Eyal in the last two weeks through the global campaign #BringBackOurBoys. Their story and captivity brought people together from many backgrounds and nations to support their release. It was indeed an unprecedented display of emotion and community not seen in some time.
However, the fact remains that these young men were abducted and struck down for no reason. They were not soldiers but Jewish students who loved Israel, desired to learn Torah, and had their entire lives before them.
In tribute to their lasting memory, Jewish National Fund will create gardens to honor Naftali z"l, Gilad z"l and Eyal z"l.
In the meantime, we will honor the customs of our forefathers and grieve with the families who have lost so much. Our prayers are with them all.
May the families be comforted amongst the mourners of Zion and Yerushalayim.
May the families know no more sorrow.
**************
Well, maybe the collective outpouring of grief was not universal.
The ever repugnant Jewish Voice for Peace dehumanizes our children, even after their death., in an effort to score cheap political points.
From Jewish Voice for Peace
 |
| JVP dehumanizes our murdered children |
Heartbreaking News
To the families of Eyal Yifrach, Gil-ad Shaar and Naftali Fraenkel:
All of the Israel mourns with you today.
The three boys were kidnaped on June 12 and a massive search had been conducted for them. Throughout the world, prayer vigils and solidarity rallies were held, as the Jewish world unified in support and in solidarity.
IDF troops found the bodies Monday near the village of Halhul, just north of Hebron. They were apparently murdered soon after they were kidnapped.
Last week Hamas operatives Amer Abu Aisha and Marwan Kawasmeh were identified as part of the terror cell that kidnaped the boys
All of the Israel mourns with you today.
The three boys were kidnaped on June 12 and a massive search had been conducted for them. Throughout the world, prayer vigils and solidarity rallies were held, as the Jewish world unified in support and in solidarity.
IDF troops found the bodies Monday near the village of Halhul, just north of Hebron. They were apparently murdered soon after they were kidnapped.
Last week Hamas operatives Amer Abu Aisha and Marwan Kawasmeh were identified as part of the terror cell that kidnaped the boys
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Bring Back Our boys: Statement by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz
From the Facebook page of Rabbi Steinsaltz : Statement on the terrorist kidnapping of three boys from Yeshivat Mekor Chaim and Kfar Etzion
The kidnapping of our students is a shocking, painful and frightening event. In a time and place that had seemed to us quiet and serene, we have been thrown into an event that we can do nothing to resolve.
Perhaps we are better off than in past times, when we were totally unable even to attempt rescue and deliverance. We are grateful to the Israel Defense Forces for all their efforts.
Still we, the families, the friends and the teachers of the kidnapped boys are standing with "idle hands" (Ecclesiastes 10:18). All we have left now is to turn to our Father in Heaven and plead. We do not despair because we doubt our Heavenly Father. Rather we feel helpless because, "God is in Heaven and you are upon earth" (Ecclesiastes 5:1).
Thus, we can never know the extent our pleas and cries reach Heaven -- and also have some effect here, on earth. What we can do – and this has been the Jewish way from time immemorial – is to add more holiness and learn more Torah. If we can, each of us should take upon ourselves something additional, no matter how small, especially and explicitly devoted for the sake and well-being of the missing boys:
Naftali Frankel (Yaakov Naftali ben Rachel Devorah)
Gilad Shaar (Gilad Michael ben Bat Galim)
Eyal Yifrach (Eyal ben Iris Tesura)
Furthermore, we Jews have always been accustomed to reciting the Psalms, and we certainly ought to do more of this, especially two psalms that seem to me most relevant: Psalms 142 and 143, chapters that literally deal with our plight. We pray also for the safety of those who are working toward their rescue.
May it be God's will that in their merit, and for the merit of their suffering, together with our prayers and good deeds, we shall soon see our boys returned to us, God willing, safe and sound.
Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz
The kidnapping of our students is a shocking, painful and frightening event. In a time and place that had seemed to us quiet and serene, we have been thrown into an event that we can do nothing to resolve.
Perhaps we are better off than in past times, when we were totally unable even to attempt rescue and deliverance. We are grateful to the Israel Defense Forces for all their efforts.
Still we, the families, the friends and the teachers of the kidnapped boys are standing with "idle hands" (Ecclesiastes 10:18). All we have left now is to turn to our Father in Heaven and plead. We do not despair because we doubt our Heavenly Father. Rather we feel helpless because, "God is in Heaven and you are upon earth" (Ecclesiastes 5:1).
Thus, we can never know the extent our pleas and cries reach Heaven -- and also have some effect here, on earth. What we can do – and this has been the Jewish way from time immemorial – is to add more holiness and learn more Torah. If we can, each of us should take upon ourselves something additional, no matter how small, especially and explicitly devoted for the sake and well-being of the missing boys:
Naftali Frankel (Yaakov Naftali ben Rachel Devorah)
Gilad Shaar (Gilad Michael ben Bat Galim)
Eyal Yifrach (Eyal ben Iris Tesura)
Furthermore, we Jews have always been accustomed to reciting the Psalms, and we certainly ought to do more of this, especially two psalms that seem to me most relevant: Psalms 142 and 143, chapters that literally deal with our plight. We pray also for the safety of those who are working toward their rescue.
May it be God's will that in their merit, and for the merit of their suffering, together with our prayers and good deeds, we shall soon see our boys returned to us, God willing, safe and sound.
Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)