2 Palestinians arrested in Shmerling murder suspected of nationalistic terrorism
Security forces arrest two Palestinian West Bank residents on suspicion of murdering Reuven Shmerling, who was found beaten to death, as Shin Bet says evidence point to terrorism.
The Shin Bet said that the evidence gathered so far pointed to an act of terrorism. The suspects, two Palestinians from the West Bank town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin, will be charged with murdering Shmerling, a resident of the settlement of Elqana in northeastern Samaria, out of nationalistic motivations.
The Shin Bet placed a gag order on all details of the investigation.
According to media reports following the murder, Shmerling employed Palestinian laborers at the site where his body was found. The reports claimed that one of the directions police were pursuing is that Shmerling was beaten to death by his laborers following a dispute over money.
A neighbor described Shmerling as a “charming man with a wonderful family” who served as a cantor at his local synagogue.
Elkana Regional Council head Assaf Mintzer added that it was “clear from the outset” to the Shmerling family and the entire community that the murder was committed for nationalist reasons.
“The crime scene and the way he was murdered left no doubt about it. We thank our security forces, the Shin Bet, the IDF and the police for catching the murderers and we expect them to take meaningful action against the terrorists and their operators,” Mintzer said.
On Thursday, Shmerling was supposed to celebrate his 70th birthday with his family—including his four children and 19 grandchildren. Instead, he was laid to rest at Elkana Cemetery.
Hundreds of family and friends escorted him on his last journey. The head of IDF's Central Command, Maj. Gen. Roni Numa, was also present at the funeral.
The Shmerling family arrived at the funeral with a shirt made especially for his birthday, which read: "It's a sign that you're young. Celebrating 70 with Grandpa Moti."
"Our beloved father, everything was ready for your birthday," eulogized his daughter, Idit. "We prepared a song, printed shirts, prepared a presentation and a game for the whole family—but you weren't there. We didn't have the chance to say goodbye."
TPS contributed to this report.
