Nashat Melhem. Killed in a shhotout with -police forces.
Victims' loved ones react to Tel Aviv pub attacker's death
Dudu Bakal, father of Alon Bakal, welcomed the news that the terrorist who murdered his son was dead. "It's good to know they took him down," he said. Razi Shaaban, brother of cab driver Amin Shaaban, murdered by Melhem later in the day, said, "It's good that they reached him, but it's still difficult because my brother left behind 11 children."
"It's our only solace, and the happy thing is that none of our own were scratched in the raid. I had no doubt that they'd reach him." So said Dudu Bakal, whose son Alon Bakal was murdered by Nashat Melhem in the Friday attack at the Simta bat in Tel Aviv, after he heard that security forces had killed Melhem.
Razi Shaaban, brother of Amin Shaaban, the cab driver Melhem murdered after fleeing the scene of the initial attack, said of Melhem's death, "We waited for him to be caught of killed for a week, because he murdered my brother. On the other hand, it's still difficult because my brother left behind 11 children who need to grow up alone, as well as three wives. I hope that now a quiet period will start."
Bakal added that he and his family were certain that the terrorist would be killed by security forces quickly. "I didn’t doubt it for a moment," he emphasized. "I was sure that this evil person would be taken down. I was very very happy to hear that none of our own were scratched. All of our guys came home intact and he got the strike he deserved. Everyone needs to learn from this, and know that if they scratch one of Israel's people, their end will be the same. It's good to know that he got his."
Alon Bakal (left) and Shimon Ruimi (Right). Murdered by Melhem at the Simta bar.
Razi Shaaban, brother of Amin Shaaban, the cab driver Melhem murdered after fleeing the scene of the initial attack, said of Melhem's death, "We waited for him to be caught of killed for a week, because he murdered my brother. On the other hand, it's still difficult because my brother left behind 11 children who need to grow up alone, as well as three wives. I hope that now a quiet period will start."
Irit Amir, a close friend of Shimon Ruimi, who was also murdered by Melhem during the Simta bar attack, said of Melhem's death, "I can't say it relieves the personal pain, I feel the same feeling, but I'm glad he was killed. That's how things should have ended. All of the friends waited for this death in order to come full circle, and so that Shimi (Ruimi's nickname) will be able to rest in peace."
Amin Shaaban. Murdered by Melhem about an hour after the Simta bar attack.
Dean Raichel, one of the Simta bar's owners and a friend of Bakal (who was a manager at the bar), said, "The entire week passed by too fast, too difficult, and most of it was a total, indigestible shock. I thought that maybe if they caught him today it would be a kind of closure, but this news did not bring us full circle and the feeling is the same. Bakal and Ruimi will never come back and there's nothing on earth that can compete with that emotion. The grief is great and it doesn't give way to any other emotion near it."
Ahiya Raved, Itay Blumental, Amir Alon, and Noam (Dabul) Dvir contributed to this report.
