
Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Shmona, Rabbi Zephaniah Drori, spoke with Arutz Sheva Thursday morning about the Rosenfeld family of Kokhav HaShahar who lost their son, Malachi, in the terror shooting near Shvut Rachel north of Jerusalem on Monday night.
"We are hurting badly; I know the family and share in their great pain," Drori said. "This is a very strong family full of faith and joy."
"The only thing that can be said in consolation is that God does not choose unless He knows they can meet [the challenge], and they should take this as a divine compliment. This family strengthens the spirit of the nation."
According to Drori, the state must change the misperception that has been applied to terror attacks.
"The military response was not valid; the exemptions granted to the Palestinian population [for the Ramadan holiday] were a mistake," he asserted. "We must not agree to pay the price of attacks against Jews."
"In the cases where there are warnings of terror, the state must abolish these exemptions and set up checkpoints on the roads. If there were barriers, they would not have come. Obviously, if checkpoints are left open, it becomes very difficult afterwards to find a single car."
Blasting current security policies, Rabbi Drori called for road closures and roadblocks to prevent potential murderers from moving about freely. "Specifically now, in Ramadan, when you give them more freedom, they feel Israel isn't awake and they start attacking," he asserted.
Malachi Moshe Rosenfeld was laid to rest in Kokhav HaShahar on Wednesday morning. Criticially injured in the Binyamin region shooting on Monday night, he succumbed to his wounds early Tuesday evening.
Thousands attended Malachi's funeral, including friends and family members as well as Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi David Lau and Education Minister Naftali Bennett.