A memorial to four victims of Arab terrorist attacks in the town of Otniel in Judea was vandalized by a group of Arabs Tuesday.
The youth of the town of Otniel established the group 'Bishveelem' (In their honor) following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in Judea in summer 2014. Following the murder of Dafna Meir, a resident of Otniel, in her home, the youth of 'Bishveelem' decided to channel their pain and grief into something positive, and constructed a spring in her memory, as well as a path leading to the spring.
A group of Arabs broke into Otniel and damaged the spring and its surroundings. The perpetrators were captured after a chase.
The local council of Otniel said in response to the vandalism: "The town of Otniel views this [act] of violence and destruction caused by these Palestinians very seriously. [The memorial] was established in memory of the three boys who were kidnapped and killed in Gush Etzion. We will not tolerate the invasion of our territory and the disruption of normal life for the residents of Otniel. We demand that the Israeli government and the IDF take all possible actions against the perpetrators of this destruction. We rely on the security forces to do everything to restore order so we can resume our daily routines."
Yocahi Damari, the Head of Har Hevron Regional Council, blamed incitement from Mahmoud Abbas' Palestinian Authority for the vandalism and the murders which inspired the youth of Otniel to construct the memorial.
"[They] murdered and [they] also inherited the venom which the youht [are taught] in the educational institutions of the Palestinian Authority, which leads them to murder a woman in front of her children and now also to destroy the memorial which the youth of Otniel painstakingly constructed after a difficult year" for the residents of Otniel and the nation as a whole, Damari said.
"This is the difference between those to whom the land truly belongs and who invests all his of his energy into it, and those who only seek to reduce the [Jewish] people's presence in the land."