Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, together with Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Moshe Ya\'alon, paid a very tense condolence visit to the Zar family this morning outside Karnei Shomron. The family is in mourning for its older son and brother, Gilad, who was murdered in an ambush attack by Arab gunmen last week; he was the Shomron Regional Council\'s chief security officer. Ben-Eliezer told them that the terrorists had apparently sought out Gilad specifically. The family retorted, \"So what? They want to kill all of us!... Gilad fell on the altar of your public relations strategy.\" They quoted Gilad as having said recently that the IDF is collapsing, there are not enough soldiers in the Shechem sector, and they are not given the orders to attack. \"We have the best army in the world,\" Ben-Eliezer responded, to which the family answered, \"But you [plural] are castrating it!\"
Gilad\'s mother Yael requested that five outposts be built along the southern Shechem-bypass road where the murder occurred, as well as in Tel Romeida in Hevron, the city where three of her children and their families live. Ben-Eliezer did not consent. He denied the claims that he and the Prime Minister are refraining from acting because of American pressure: \"When we had to use F-16s, we did so, even though the whole world was angry at me,\" he said. \"The army will choose how and when to respond.\" Oren Zar, Gilad\'s brother: \"If you didn\'t respond yesterday after 20 children were killed, then when will you ever retaliate?! Even if 40 are killed you\'ll do nothing! Arafat is laughing at you. He\'s smart, and our leaders are stupid...\"
Gilad\'s mother Yael requested that five outposts be built along the southern Shechem-bypass road where the murder occurred, as well as in Tel Romeida in Hevron, the city where three of her children and their families live. Ben-Eliezer did not consent. He denied the claims that he and the Prime Minister are refraining from acting because of American pressure: \"When we had to use F-16s, we did so, even though the whole world was angry at me,\" he said. \"The army will choose how and when to respond.\" Oren Zar, Gilad\'s brother: \"If you didn\'t respond yesterday after 20 children were killed, then when will you ever retaliate?! Even if 40 are killed you\'ll do nothing! Arafat is laughing at you. He\'s smart, and our leaders are stupid...\"