Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev (Likud) visited the home of Rabbi Raziel Shevach's family on Thursday, to comfort mourners two days after Rabbi Shevach's murder.
On Tuesday night, Rabbi Raziel Shevach, a 32-year-old mohel and MDA emergency first responder, was gunned down by Arab terrorists just outside of the Samaria town of Havat Gilad, where he lived.
"It breaks my heart to see a brave young widow who decided to bury her husband in Havat Gilad, establishing a cemetery here, that we will of course approve. I am happy that [Defense Minister] Liberman announced he would legalize Havat Gilad. We have to normalize Havat Gilad," said Regev.
The Minister, who arrived together with Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, added that until arrangements are made, living conditions in the area must be provided as much as possible.
"It is ridiculous that the widow, Yael, tells me that she doesn't know when she'll have [access to] electricity, or when she'll [have access to hot water so that she] can shower her children, or when she can tell mourners to come pay their respects.
"This is an impossible situation, and residents of Havat Gilad should live with the same rights and obligations that people living in Kiryat Shmona, Dimona, Tel Aviv, and Caesarea have," Regev continued.
"The ultimate motive of terrorism is not to cause despair; it is the hope that one day this land will be theirs. I want to say unequivocally: This is our land; our duty is to apply sovereignty, once they realize there is no hope, their motivation will disappear. I hope we'll never have to come here for more such events."
Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, said that "this is a difficult struggle, both on the family level and on the community level, but this mourning is not private. Raziel was murdered because he is a Jew traveling on the road and our expectation is that the government will announce today that it is preparing to recognize Havat Gilad. This will weaken the motivation to commit acts of terrorism."