Terror victim's bus woes

Boy who lost mother and three siblings in terror attack stays at home twice a week due to lack of bullet-proof transportation to school

Efrat Weiss|Published: 11.14.05 , 08:50

Asael Shabo, 12, who lost his mother and three of his siblings in a terror attack at the West Bank settlement of Itamar, does not go to school twice a week because there is no armored transportation from his home to the school.

"The social worker suggested that he sleep at friends' houses in Elon Moreh. It's impossible for a child who needs his father and has no mother to spend two days a week at friends' houses during the entire school year," Asael's father, Boaz, told Ynet.

On the evening of June 20, 2002, a terrorist infiltrated the Itamar settlement. He shot in all directions, approached the Shabo family home and opened fire. The mother, Rachel, and three of her children – Neria (15), Zvika (12) and Avishai (5) – were murdered. Their neighbor, Yossi Tuito, who came in to help, was also killed.

Asael Shabo was seriously wounded, and his sister Aviya, then 13, was moderately to seriously wounded. A fire erupted in the house as a result of the shooting, and the house burnt down.

Boaz Shabo and his four remaining children – Yariv, Atara, Asael and Aviya – moved to the West Bank settlement of Kedumim. However, in addition to all the trouble, suffering and the big loss the family went through, Asael has not been going to school twice a week because no bullet-proof vehicle could be arranged for him.

Asael studies in the settlement of Elon Moreh. At first he studied in Kedumim, but according to his father "The students there harassed him because of the injury, and Asael asked to go and study in Elon Moreh with his friends."

"Because of the terror attack, Asael is much more sensitive nowadays, and cannot travel in a normal vehicle, only in an armored one," Boaz Shabo added.

'Does not meet criteria'

The solution so far is that Asael travels to school with teachers working in Elon Moreh, but twice a week there is no one to drive him. In addition, the route of the Samaria Regional Council bus does include Kedumim.

"I could take him with the National Insurance car, but what shall I do about my job?" Boaz says painfully.

"I miss every child that isn't here, it’s a bad feeling. There is a budget for handicapped children who live further away, but not for us? This child has been without his mother for three years, he is in need of warmth and love, and the solution is not to spend the night in a friend's house," he adds, crying.

Gadi Fenigstein, head of the education department in the Kedumim Regional Council, told Ynet in response that "Tomorrow morning we have a meeting of the central transportation committee in the Education Ministry, which is expected to discuss the request."

"The regional committee did not approve the request because it claims that it does not meet the criteria of transportation to the closest school," he added.

Ahuva Shilo, spokeswoman of the Samaria Regional Council, said in response that "We would be delighted to help Asael on this matter if we could. School transportation is under the financial responsibility of the Education Ministry - local authorities only provide the transportation."

"The Ministry of Education has criteria regarding transportation, and every case is examined matter-of-factly and not emotionally. In Asael's case, it should have been examined also on the emotional side," Shilo added.