A monument erected in memory of terror victim Yossi Shok, who was killed in 2005, has been vandalized yet again. Shok's family discovered the damage Sunday morning, as they came to light a candle in memory of Yossi.
Shok, 35, was murdered in a shooting attack while driving home to Beit Hagai in the southern Hevron Hills on December 16, 2005. The attack occurred on a Friday afternoon, as Shok was returning home for Shabbat with two sisters, Efrat and Anat Sofer, also residents of Beit Hagai, to whom he offered a lift home from Kiryat Arba. Terrorists opened fire from a passing vehicle as they drove south. Yossi was shot in the head and died en route to hospital. The two sisters, who were in the back seat, were treated for shock.
Born in Netanya, Yossi Shok moved to Beit Hagai 10 years ago, soon after his wedding. He worked as a building engineer at the Kiryat Arba Development Company in Hevron, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The attack occurred on Hanukkah of that year, and residents lit candles outside at the site of the murder throughout the holiday.
Shok's wife Sagit and his children currently live in Beit Hagai. The memorial has been damaged and desecrated by Arabs several times in the past.
Hevron Hills Regional Council head Yohai Damri said that in response, residents would hold a march commemorating the tenth anniversary of the murder. “We will light candles at the memorial with joy and dancing. That is the we respond to hate. Once again the Palestinians damaged the memorial, a continuation of the dozens of attacks against people and property, including arson and damage to water pipes, that we have experienced.
“We expect to see the authorities vigorously search for the perpetrators and put an end to this phenomenon,” added Damri. “These attacks will not chase us away from the Hevron Hills – just the opposite, they will strengthen us.”