Bereaved father lowers flag to half-mast
Bereaved father lowers flag to half-mastFrom Facebook album

The father of murdered fighter Amit Ben Yigal arrived at the cemetery and cried over his son's grave following the decision to revoke the demolition order for the murderer's house.

"As I receive this unfortunate message, of this miserable verdict, not to destroy the terrorist's house but only his room, I'm here in Beer Yaakov in the cemetery with my son," he said.

"I want to tell him, 'I beg your pardon and forgiveness'," he shouted. "Let them see what it is. It's not right. They made me unhappy. What a miserable decision. I can't believe these are our judges."

"Let all the parents see, let the warriors see," he added. "I was left alone. Amit, look what happened to me. Look what I have left.

"I'm not just crying over Amit," he said. "I cry for the men and women warriors who will enter the villages tonight. I don't want them to be another Amit, I don't want more bereaved parents. It ends one's life, it takes away the desire to live. I had hopes. What happened to the judges in Israel? Where is the deterrence?" wept Ben Yigal.

Earlier, the Supreme Court ruled against a demolition order for the home of Nizmi Abu Bakr, the 49-year-old resident of Palestinian Authority-controlled Yabed in the Jenin district.

On Monday, however, the Court ruled two-to-one in favor an appeal filed on behalf of the murderer’s wife and eight children.

Justices Menny Mazuz and George Kara ruled in favor of the appeal cancelling the demolition order, while the third justice on the panel, Yael Vilner, opposed the appeal, saying the demolition order had been signed in accordance with the law.

“The case involves an appeal by the terrorist’s family, his wife, and eight children, including minors, who slept while their father awoke at 4:30 a.m. to the sound of shouting and women crying from the neighbor’s home. He went up to the roof of his apartment on the third floor and picked up a half of a cinder block from there and threw it at the soldiers who were then in the town for an operation, resulting in the death of IDF soldier Amit Ben Yigal,” Judge Kara wrote.

“No one else in the family knew or was involved in the terrorist’s actions,” continued Kara.

“Under these circumstances, I do not believe it proper to punish the terrorist’s wife and children by demolishing their home. Justice will come by punishing the terrorist. But there is no justification to punish those who have not sinned for their father’s actions.”

The Im Tirtzu group, which works in tandem with the Choosing Life Forum of Bereaved Families, slammed the Court decision.

"The Supreme Court has proven time after time that it places greater importance on the property of families of terrorists than on the lives of Israelis, Jews and Arabs alike. We call on Defense Minister Gantz to disregard the Supreme Court ruling and destroy the terrorist's home.

"This is another dark day for the Supreme Court of Justice," added Im Tirtzu.

ברוך בן יגאל בקבר בנו: החלטה אומללה