Early this morning, while traveling on Route 90 in the northern Jordan Valley, Sal’it Sheetreet, of Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu, and her husband Barak were fired upon by a passing Arab vehicle. Sal’it, 28 years of age, was hit in the head and pronounced dead by Magen David Adom medics who arrived on the scene. Barak, who was driving, was lightly injured by ricocheted fragments. The Islamic Jihad group claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack took place near the Arab village of Bardla approximately one half-kilometer from an IDF checkpoint, but the soldiers manning the post heard nothing. After being alerted by passing Arab residents to what occurred, the IDF and security services attempted to track the terrorists, but they apparently fled for safe haven in territories controlled by the Palestinian Authority. The Sheetreets were on their way to distribute sweets to soldiers from their kibbutz who serve in the area, before continuing on to Jerusalem. The funeral of Sal’it will take place at her kibbutz at 2:00 PM.
Minister of Tourism Rehavam Ze’evi expressed surprise that there were any Palestinian Authority vehicles on the Jordan Valley road, as his proposal to forbid such travel on the road was approved by the government after the last terrorist attack in the vicinity. Local Jewish residents said that they hadn’t see any lessening of Arab traffic on the route and that, “judging by the fatal results,” the orders are not being sufficiently enforced.
Reacting to the attack, Ra’anan Gissin, the Prime Minister’s media advisor, said that Israel sees PLO leader Yasser Arafat as responsible for the murder. The attack, he said, resets the 48 hour period without attacks that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon insists upon before he will agree to a meeting between Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Arafat.
The attack took place near the Arab village of Bardla approximately one half-kilometer from an IDF checkpoint, but the soldiers manning the post heard nothing. After being alerted by passing Arab residents to what occurred, the IDF and security services attempted to track the terrorists, but they apparently fled for safe haven in territories controlled by the Palestinian Authority. The Sheetreets were on their way to distribute sweets to soldiers from their kibbutz who serve in the area, before continuing on to Jerusalem. The funeral of Sal’it will take place at her kibbutz at 2:00 PM.
Minister of Tourism Rehavam Ze’evi expressed surprise that there were any Palestinian Authority vehicles on the Jordan Valley road, as his proposal to forbid such travel on the road was approved by the government after the last terrorist attack in the vicinity. Local Jewish residents said that they hadn’t see any lessening of Arab traffic on the route and that, “judging by the fatal results,” the orders are not being sufficiently enforced.
Reacting to the attack, Ra’anan Gissin, the Prime Minister’s media advisor, said that Israel sees PLO leader Yasser Arafat as responsible for the murder. The attack, he said, resets the 48 hour period without attacks that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon insists upon before he will agree to a meeting between Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Arafat.