Fogal Family's Murderers Tried and Sentenced

Nadene Goldfoot
On March 11, 2011,  the whole Fogel family of five of Itamar, which lies in the Samarian mountains were stabbed to death by Palestinian terrorists who belonged to the PLFP (terrorists of PLO) .  The family consisted of Ehud and Ruth Fogel and children Yoav, 11, Elad, 4, and Hadas, 3 months old.  Two cousins were convicted of this brutal attack.  The Palestinian TV aired an interview with the murderers relatives who called them "heroes."

Is it really heroic to go into a sleeping family's home and slaughter them all, including children?  This is not heroic to me but an act done by  cowards. 

I notice the TV's values as well.  This was part of a weekly show called "For You," focusing on Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel.  Most of the prisoners are there for killing people.  It had on the program their aunt and mother of 18 year old Hakim Awad.  His cousin was Amjad Awad.  The killer's mother was so proud of his act.  Awad's aunt described her nephew as a "hero and a legend." 

The two cousins were sentenced to 5 consecutive life sentences by an IDF court.  Israel does not have a death sentence.  That has only been used in special cases trying Nazi criminals for mass deaths. 

One can see that terrorism is fed into by the family's values.  These certainly are not the values of the Jewish people living in Itamar who had done nothing but be a part of a group living in Judea/Samaria (West Bank).  The town is made of 1,032 religiously orthodox Jewish people (census as of 2009) and in area C under the full Israeli security control. 
The West Bank (a name given by Jordan who had illegally occupied the area before 1967) had come into Israel's hands when Jordan and other Arab states attacked Israel and lost.  These Itamar Jews did not force any Arabs out, but simply made use of barren land and established a town.  Hakim Awad came from Awarta, a town 2 km away with a population of 5,623 as in 2007.  Awarta, being in Samaria has a long history of being Jewish as evidenced with the findings of synagogues there.   This is one reason why orthodox Jews have been so adamant about settling in Judea and Samaria.  These were part of Israel and our history. 

Resource: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/palestinian-tv-airs-show-praising-fogel-family-murderer-1.409858
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itamar
http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=232138 about the killers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awarta

Itamar Slaughterers Found
Nadene Goldfoot
Two Palestinian PLO teenagers decided to slaughter a Jewish family on March 11th.  Amjad Awad 19 and Hakim Awad 18 from Awarta, an Arab village admitted killing the Fogel family in Itamar.  They have been arrested by the Israeli security forces.  Though they are but teenagers, they are members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).  They start young.  Six others were arrested for helping them in this act.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad verbally condemned the killings, but their people have learned to hate Jewish Israelis which these leaders have done nothing to turn about.  In fact, they promote the hatred by doing such things as celebrating murderers by naming places for them.  There were Palestinians who even claimed that their people wouldn't do such a thing, but who else would have, logically?  They constantly blame the Israel occupation for every evil act they do. 

They seem to forget that Jordan "occupied" Judea and Samaria before and they weren't as nice as Israel has been, besides the fact that they didn't keep trying to kill Jordanians in reprisal, which affects whatever has been a discomfort for them.  Herb Keinon points out that countries have been occupied before and the occuppied didn't do dastardly acts such as hacking a 3 month old baby to death or sending out women suicide-bombers or firing anti-tank missiles at school buses with the goal of killing children, either. 

There can be no justification for such horrendous murders.  Yet the Director General of the PA Ministry of Detainees & Ex-Detainees justifies all this and demands that those Palestinians being detained by Israel be released.  Detainees are people who have committed some heineous crime such as murder.  Chutzpa is something they have no shortage of. 

How different life would have been if the Palestinians in 1967 who were living in Judea and Samaria under Jordan would have continued their life when under Israel and would not have continued to attack Jewish families for the last 44 years.  They would have had all the pleasures as any other community in Israel and in the United States, most likely.  By all this hatred and unacceptance of a Jewish State being thrown at Israel, the Utopia they pictured did not come about.  It was not meant to be, obviously.  Between the antagonistic Gazan Palestinians of Hamas and the PLO of Fatah in Judea and Samaria, Israel has had its hands full. 

Reference: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/two-teens-from-west-bank-village-arrested-over-itamar-massacre-1.356396
http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=217047
http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=217046
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOUPcrDIsoU
from Daily Alert

Itamar-Town in Samaria-Am Yisrael Chi (The People of Israel Live)

Nadene Goldfoot
The head of the family that was murdered in Itamar on Shabbat in the middle of the night  was a Rabbi who taught in the town's Yeshiva.  He was the opposite of a violent man  His baby had her throat cut.  So did his 11 year old son.  The 4 year old was stabbed in the heart.  Bloody slaughter seems to be the only way to solve things in the minds of Palestinian terrorists.  I have seen the pictures of the deaths of this family and it is truly shocking. 

Israel's government is outraged, also.  They were contemplating building 1,000 homes for every person killed, but have decided to build 500 more homes in Judea-Samaria as their reaction to these deaths.  It stands as a sign of life and survival amidst hatred and killing.  No doubt this is going to hit the Palestinians in the kishkas, but I'm sure Israel is trying to teach that hatred and slaughter is only going to hurt themselves and that a discourse and smoking of the peace pipe is the only way to behave in today's world. Running away from the table accomplishes nothing.  They can't scare away Israelis or bully them to get their way in this claim of this piece of land. 

The Oregonian printed an article in today's paper about the killings that comes from the McClatchy-Tribune.  I take note of the sentence that says...Most of the international community views the settlements as illegal because they are built on land seized by Israel during the 1967 war.   I wonder if the reporter or the international community remembers just how Israel came to have this land. It was attacked by the surrounding Arabs that became known as the Six Day War in which with odds no gambler would bet on, though outnumbered and outdone by weaponry, Israel  won the war.  In doing so, they found themselves in control of Judea and Samaria, land that was promised to them in the creation of Israel in talks with Britain before 1948, who was the overseer of this land when the Ottoman Empire fell due to the 1st World War when they were allied with Germany.  It wasn't like Israel decided they wanted the land and SEIZED it.  At this point I feel the international community is disgusting in their constant condemnation  of Israel.  Whatever has happened, Israel to them can do no right.  Israel is under the barrage of missiles and bombs and is criticized for defending themselves.  As if in a game of dodge ball, how dare Israelis dodge! 

The people of Itamar are not people that are opportunists out to make some sort of financial killing.  Despite the crazy world that we live in of drugs, alcohol, and cheating people out of money, there are still a handful of Jews who are awed by their religion and study it.  Think of the Llamas of Tibet.  They are people who study the Torah and take it to heart.  They are trying to live a good life and revere the land of their fathers, the place Ha Shem led them to in order to come to these states of mind.  That's why the land Itamar sits on was chosen. 

The latest news is that the slaughter was done by Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Fatah's military wing.  That figure as it had to be someone living in Samaria or even Judea.  and Fatah controls the area.  Their brothers in Gaza celebrated the deaths by passing out candy and acting out in a jubilant manner.  This is how they celebrated USA's 9/11.  Of course Hamas claims the act was justifiable.  When people think that the slaughter of children in such an act of bloodletting is justifiable, the earth is in a heap of trouble. 

Reference: Stand With Us
Oregonian 3/14/2011




   

Death Comes to Itamar
Nadene Goldfoot
In the mountains of Samaria near Nablus lies a community made up of 160 families.  They grow organic crops and raise sheep and goats.  Would you know if they were Jewish or Muslim from this description?  Do you think both groups, doing similar activities could get along?

Evidently not.  This community is made up of Orthodox Jews from Jerusalem.  The community is named Itamar 27 years ago, the name of Aaron's youngest son.  It was established in 1984, an auspicious year bearing the name of a famous American book.  On March 12th a Muslim terrorist entered the Fogel  home and slaughtered the whole family of five:  the two parents Udi 36, Ruth 35, Yoav 11 year old, Elad 4 year old and 3 month old Hadas, a baby girl.  They were  stabbed.  Shots were heard by others, so either the father was trying to protect his family or the terrorist had the gun to frighten them.  The mother was no doubt still nursing.  The grandparents and three children survive. 

This community had just been planning to expand their libary shelves and add a few more books.  One gets tired of the same old ones.  Now they have a burial to attend.  This needless slaughter on religious people will not deter them from living there.

 Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the Palestinian Authority to condemn the attack.  .  The IDF will also be searching for the killer.  Netanyahu said that terrorism is not going to make  any decision on  Judea and Samaria.  President Obama has also condemned the terrorism and has asked Abbas to also condemn the act. 


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itamar
http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=211863
http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=211843
http://idfspokesperson.com/2011/03/12/five-family-members-murdered-in-itamar-terror-attack/
added 3/14/11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zex4tJCgz_g