Economy Minister Nir Barkat was interviewed today (Tuesday) on CNN on the murder of Lucy Dee and her daughters Maia and Rina Dee in a terrorist shooting attack in the Jordan Valley.
Barkat stated that the murders showed the difference between the State of Israel and its enemies.
"Unfortunately, when the mother died just a few hours ago, they [the Dee family] donated the organs to save other people's lives. And on the other side, the terrorists - do you know what they're going to get from the Palestinian Authority? A million dollars for the rest of their lives - for killing innocent Jews," he said.
"That's the difference between living as Jews, seeking life and making a better life for other people, and the terrorists, who all they seek is death. That's all they seek," Barkat added.
Lucy, Maia, and Rina Dee were shot by a terrorist while they were driving in the Jordan Valley on Friday. Maia and Rina, ages 20 and 15, were killed at the scene. Their mother, Lucy, was critically wounded and succumbed to her injuries yesterday (Monday).
Rabbi Leo Dee, the husband and father of the victims, decided to donate his wife's organs to save the lives of five people.
“When the doctors told us the news and also told us that she was in this condition that she could donate the organs, I brought the family together…and decided together to donate the organs.”
“This was based on the following reasoning: Number one, my posek [rabbi] had checked out the halachot [Jewish law] and had explained to me that in her condition it is…acceptable, actually, a mitzvah. Only the [bones and tendons]…should not be donated. Everything else that is [life-saving] should be given,” he told Israel National News - Arutz Sheva.
“Second, Lucy and I had discussed this in the past, and the only reason we didn’t have [organ donor cards] was we were worried that if we were abroad and we had donation cards that a hospital in England or Switzerland might switch us off a little bit early and not in a halachic way in order to get the organs.”
“Five lives were saved and two cornea donations will be made, which is very good news for the family as much as a comfort as possible given the circumstances.”