Ya'alon with Gush Etzion council memebers
Ya'alon with Gush Etzion council memebersPhoto: Gush Etzion council spokesperson

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon (Likud) visited the community of Karmei Tzur in Gush Etzion today (Sunday), to pay a condolence call to the family of Air Force Reserve Captain Eliyav Gelman, who was killed during a terror attack in Gush Etzion last week.

Gelman’s family told the Minister of Eliyav’s unique personality, professionalism, caring for his family, devotion to his soldiers and Torah study: "If Eliyav was here, he would want us to accept his fate with strength and love. He would ask us to extend this strength to all the people of Israel."

The family asked Ya'alon to respond by strengthening the Jewish communities of Judea and Samaria, in order to prove to all of Israel’s enemies that their efforts are in vain and that we will stay and hold on to this land.

Ya'alon told the family that Eliyav’s heroism is the result of education. He stressed that in a broader perspective, even during these hard times - he Jewish people will overcome as it has done through previous hard times. With that, the Defense Minister embraced the family and told them his door will always be open to help them.

After the condolence call, Ya'alon met with the plenary council consisting of representatives of all the communities in Gush Etzion. The representatives shared the feelings experienced by the community residents these days, expressed the growing concern of raising children amidst the ongoing terror, and made suggestions on the steps to operate against Palestinian terrorism, including expulsion of supporters of terror, applying the death penalty to terrorist murderers and the denial of residency.

Regional Council head Davidi Perl thanked the Minister for the many actions already carried out and emphasized that "residents are appreciative and want to see a strong response. This is the time where separation is required. Separation will reduce friction and make it difficult for terrorists to reach the residents and harm them.”

Minister Ya'alon responded that, "Since Operation Defensive Shield (in 2002), we've been on the attack against terrorism. And so there is no place for all this talk about the transition from defense to offense. Military forces, the Shin Bet, the police and other forces are working non-stop to prevent attacks. Security forces patrol night and day, and do many other things which you cannot openly talk about.”

"The fact that our enemies have chosen to attack us with knives proves that they realized they could not defeat us in a war of armies. They understood that we have the strength and ability to cope, and in view of prevention efforts, they are choosing to hurt us with knives and not by other means,” said Ya’alon.

“Our resilience and ability to cope and get through this difficult complex is being tested. I am certain that Israel will triumph in this difficult period of time. I share the feelings of Gelman family and the residents of the Gush that the real answer is to strengthen the settlements, which I something I constantly and tirelessly work on.”

Photo: Gush Etzion council spokesperson