Bereaved parents denounce decision to hand over terrorists' bodies
Parents who lost sons, daughters in terrorists bombings shocked, outraged to learn government intends to hand over terrorists' bodies to PA. 'They're killing us slowly,' bereaved father says
"My daughter was killed in vain? Just another number in the statistics?" This was the response Thursday of Ron Kerman from Haifa, regarding the State's intent to hand over to Palestinians the body of the suicide bomber whose suicide mission killed Kerman's daughter, Tal, and 16 other people in March 2003.
"If these talks would lead to an agreement, release would be possible, but this is nothing. Just talks," Kerman said. His daughter was killed when the 37 bus in Haifa exploded.
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Parents who lost their sons and daughters in bombings in the second Intifada discovered from Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth the intent to hand over terrorists' bodies to their families.
37 bus bombing that took the life of Kerman's daughter (Photo: AP)
(Photo: AP)
"I'm not surprised," said Yossi Zur, whose son, Asaf, was also murdered on the 37 bus bombing. "No one updates us about anything. We will learn the details and fight this decision."
'The State doesn't give us the time of day'
Abigail Levy, whose daughter, Racheli, was murdered in a 2002 bombing at a supermarket in Jerusalem, was also furious: "The country is folding too much; what gestures are we making? There'll be more bombings and murders. I live in fear everyday." Abigail, who met the terrorist's family as part of the award winning film, "To Die in Jerusalem", said, "Those parents don't deserve for their daughter to have a grave."
The Sbarro Jerusalem bombing in 2001 (Photo: AP)
Photo: AP
Photo: AP
As reported in Ynet and in Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel agreed to hand over bodies of Palestinian terrorists to their families. The agreement followed an appeal of those families to the Supreme Court through Israeli lawyers.
Palestinians sources told Ynet Thursday that Israel is to return the bodies of 36 terrorists, some of whom committed atrocious terrorist bombings. Families of the terrorists were invited to checkpoints in the West Bank on two dates, November 5 and 7, to give DNA samples, which will be given to the military rabbinate to complete identification of the bodies and then to the terrorists' families.
The news of the bodies being returned caught bereaved parents unprepared. "We've been dealing with them giving back living prisoners," Zur said, adding, "We had no idea handing over bodies is on the line."
Kerman said he was appalled: "It's unbelievable how the government is abusing bereaved families. He said: "They're killing us slowly, little by little. They talked about releasing terrorists in four rounds, and now they're giving back bodies as a bonus? And all this while the terror is raising its head and we're standing on the verge of a third Intifada?"
He added: "The country just doesn't give us the time of day. Nobody sees us. The State had better start treating its citizens with more empathy than it does this wicked enemy."
The Yeshiva bombing in 2002 (Photo: AP)
Abigail Levy told Ynet: "This is the first I hear of this. I'll be furious if they return the body. These parents don't deserve to have a grave for their child. Her parents knew about her whole act; they don't deserve it, as far as I'm concerned let them bury her in Israel and not give them the pleasure. They don't deserve to have a grave. I'm beyond help."
Even though she met the mother of the terrorist who murdered her daughter, Abigail refuses to give up: "I will take part in any protest. I won't have them getting the body. Parents like that don't deserve it. They've been without it for 11 years, so why now? The terrorist's sister said she'd kill again. I knew them through the film and I saw who I was dealing with. I won't look at them."
The terrorists whose bodies are set to be returned include brothers Imad and Adel Awadallah, Islamic Jihad members who carried out an attack in Otniel in 2002; Mahmoud Qawasme, Hamas suicide bomber who carried out an attack in Haifa that killed 17 people; Abdul Karim who carried out a suicide bombing in Afula in 2002; Izz al-Din al-Masry, the Sbarro restaurant suicide bomber that killed 15 people; Rajeb Jaradat, suicide bomber that killed eight people in 2001; Ala Sabah, suicide bomber who detonated a bomb at the Hadera bus station in 2001; and Dawd Saad, suicide bomber who carried out an attack near a Jerusalem hotel in 2001.
Noam (Dabul) Dvir contributed to this article
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