'In their death they prevented tragedy'
(VIDEO) Kedumim resident says Raffie and Helena Halevy prevented a bigger tragedy by questioning Palestinian suicide bomber who disguised as a haredi hitchhiker; say bomber meant to blow up in Kedumim
Raffie and Helena Halevy, 60, were killed along with a 20-year-old girl and a 16-year-old male teenager, when a Palestinian suicide bomber disguised as a haredi blew himself up in their car. “They prevented a bigger tragedy with their bodies,” Tratner said.
Terrorist was disguised as Jewish hitchhiker. (Video: IDF)
Raot Feldman, 20, of Herzeliya, has been identified as the third victim in Thursday’s attack. She will be laid to rest on Friday.
The fourth victim has been identified as 16-year-old Shaked Lesker of the West Bank settlement. He will be laid to rest in Kedumim at 3:30 p.m. on Friday.
Tratner, a Helena’s soul mate, told Ynet: “Helena immigrated to Israel from Brazil 40 years ago, when she was 18. She emigrated from Brazil, young blonde, to Kibbutz Beerot Yitzhak, where she volunteered and met Raffie, a swarthy man, educated, of wise Tsfat family. Seventh generation in Israel. They got married and lived in Beerot Yitzhak.”
After four years they moved to live in Emek Yizraael and worked in agriculture. About 17 years ago, they moved to Kedumim with their four children.
“They loved Israel deeply, naturally. They loved Kadumim. Their home was always open for everyone,” their friend said. “They stopped for the terrorist because they thought he was an innocent hitchhiker. He was dark and cold and Raffie started questioning him and understood something was not right. He told him he will not enter the settlement, and apparently the terrorist detonated his explosives belt. They prevented a bigger tragedy with their bodies.”
Another Kedumim resident told Ynet: “The feeling is bad because of the way in which the attack was carried out is scary. One the one hand, we always hitchhike and the terrorist hitchhiked.”
Raffie worked in the settlement’s security services. “Over the last few years he worked in gardening,” said a Kedumim resident, “he loved his job. Helena managed the child care facility in the settlement’s school. They had a well kept house and a well kept garden, one of the most well kept homes in Kedumim. They were liked in the settlement and they loved life,” a female resident said.
Rabbi Daniel Shila, who formerly served in Kedumim, told Ynet: “Raffie was humane to everyone, even to Arabs. Although he was responsible for security and dealt with security, he made sure that the Arabs’ rights to be safe were respected. For example, near the settlements there are olive trees belonging to us and others to Palestinians. He knew exactly which trees belonged to Kedumin and which belonged to the Palestinians.’
The rabbi said: “It is a very involved family, good hearted, social and humane family.”
“We need to carry on stopping for hitchhikers and check whom we stopr for. Maybe we need to stop taking hitchhikers from the highway and pick them up from settlements after the undergo checks by security people, and this will be another filtering for us. These people want to kill us everywhere, because they have not gotten over the existence of state of Israel. The army should be allowed to deal decisively with terrorists and their dispatchers,” the rabbi added.
Raffie and Helena leave behind four children, Oded, Gilad, Neaama, and Neta, and three grandchildren, Shaun, 4, Maya, 1, and Rona, 3. They will be laid to rest on Sunday.
