Ben-Yosef Livnat
Photo: Curtesy of The Shomron Settlers' Committee
State declares Ben-Yosef Livnat terror victim
Decision made although IDF has not yet defined Joseph's Tomb shooting as terror attack
Though an IDF investigation is still ongoing, the Defense Ministry announced Thursday that it has recognized Ben-Yosef Livnat, who was killed a month ago by Palestinian security forces at Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, as a terror victim.
The decision was made following the army's announcement that the officers who fired were not in any immediate danger. However the IDF has refrained from calling the shooting a terror attack, pending a more rigorous investigation.
Earlier
Akiva Novick
Four days prior to Ben-Yosef Livnat's death in Palestinian police-involved shooting at Joseph's Tomb, Yedioth Ahronoth reporter visits Nablus' holy site with group of Breslovers led by victim
Family members of Livnat, who is the nephew of Minister Limor Livnat, appealed to the National Insurance Institute which in turn appealed to Defense Ministry in order to ascertain whether he is indeed a terror victim.
The ministry's legal advisor approved this status, despite the fact that the IDF has not yet drawn the same conclusion.
Earlier this month police reenacted the Passover shooting, which left the Breslov Hasid dead. The three Palestinian police officers who fired at the Jewish worshippers after they infiltrated the compound did not take part in the reenactment.
A convoy of security vehicles gathered at the entrance to the West Bank city of Nablus with three of the Hasidim who entered the tomb that night. After a reenactment which lasted several hours, the convoy turned back in the early morning hours.
According to the military's initial investigation, 19 Jewish worshippers arrived at Joseph's Tomb in three vehicles, ignored the Palestinian police's order to stop at an improvised roadblock. The Palestinian police officers then opened fire at them.
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