The quick action by the civilian first response team in Beit Haggai averted a tragedy and loss of life, a senior IDF source said Friday. The source singled out two members of the first response team who approached the terrorist infiltrator and shot him dead.
"Thank G-d, the two fought the terrorist bravely," said Eyal Radami, a member of the Beit Haggai security team.
Can't see the video player? Click here to view the interview with the security man.
The Yesha Rabbis’ Council said in response to the attack that “the rise in attempts to kill Jews are the result of the continued delusional peace babble, and prove that there is no peace and that there will be no peace with a bloodthirsty enemy. The Jewish courage of the residents of Bat Ayin and Beit Haggai who live fearlessly in unfortified communities is the strength of the State of Israel that will defeat all evil from without and from within.”
The Women in Green movement agreed with the Rabbis’ statement, and said that talk in the media about "two states for two nations" is encouraging Arab terrorism around the country. A statement by the group noted, "Today it was at Beit Haggai. Two weeks ago it was at Bat Ayin. Before that at a Haifa shopping center where a car bomb miraculously did not blow up."
The group said, "The government of Israel must remind the world that it represents a majority of the people of Israel who said 'no' to a policy of capitulation to the Arab enemy and 'yes' to the Land of Israel and the values of Zionism and Jewish settlement." The statement added, "The government must react in a Zionist way by erecting a new community or neighborhood in Yesha (Judea and Samaria) every time an Arab carries out an attack."
Loss of deterrence
National Union head MK Yaakov Katz (Ketzaleh) said that Israel has lost its deterrent power because of the failures of previous prime ministers. “The fact that the Prime Minister has taken in the failed Defense Minister Ehud Barak causes repeated attempts by Arab terrorists to hurt the residents of Judea and Samaria,” he charged.
“The terror attempts on one hand and the American diplomatic efforts to force the hand of Israel’s current government will continue as long as Netanyahu fails to carry out what he said during the last election campaign about stopping discrimination and racism against Jews and continued Jewish construction throughout Judea and Samaria,” Ketzaleh added.
The headline of the Associated Press story about the terror attack was "Palestinian Killed in West Bank Violence." The headline, which makes no reference to the terrorist attack, was carried by numerous news organizations around the world.