This week marks the first anniversary of the death of 10-month-old Shalhevet Pass of Hevron, who was murdered by an Arab sniper from Abu Sneineh while in her mother\'s arms. Hevron\'s Jewish Community sponsored a nationwide gathering today in memory of Shalhevet. Participants met at the Dolphinarium nightclub in Tel Aviv - the site of a suicide bombing attack last summer that left 21 Israelis dead. They then continued to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, where they held a special prayer service. Hevron spokesman David Wilder told Arutz 7\'s Josh Hasten, \"We believe that the murder of Shalhevet is something that affected the entire State of Israel.\"



Regarding the current situation for Hevron\'s Jews, Wilder said that while there were several months of quiet, \"things have gotten worse over the past several weeks... the shooting has become very heavy.\" Recent incidents include the wounding of a soldier by an Arab who was being checked - \"instead of pulling out his identity card, he pulled out a gun and began shooting,\" Wilder said - shots into a crowd of worshippers outside the Machpelah Cave, and the wounding of 16-year-old Eliyahu Meshulam. \"The Israeli government must retake the hills of Hevron and the cities throughout Judea, Samaria, and Gaza that were abandoned to the terrorists,\" he said. \"Only when these cities are once again under Israeli military control will the Israeli army be able to stop the killing.\"