By Aryeh Savir
JERUSALEM (TNA)–Scores of Israelis from all over Israel have been flocking to the homes of the three families whose sons were abducted and murdered by Hamas terrorists on June 12. Ministers and Members of Knesset, leaders, rabbis and people from all walks of life have been coming day and night. Many have come to give comfort; many leave comforted and strengthened by the belief and force radiated by the families.
Ilana Dadon, mother of Shelly Dadon who was murdered on April 1st this year, came to give her condolences to the Yifrach family in Elad. She ended up being consoled by Iris, mother of 19 year old Eyal. On Sunday, July 6, Israeli police announced the capture of her accused murderer.
At the Sha’ar home in Talmon, where the family is mourning for their 16 year old son Gilad, a group of Ultra Orthodox arrived surprisingly on Thursday baring an unfinished Sefer Torah that was spontaneously donated by an anonymous person in memory of the three boys. The Torah was brought to each of the homes and all three fathers were invited to complete the last letters in the scroll.
On Saturday night the famous singer Avraham Fried came to the family’s house. After being requested by Bat-Galim, Gilad’s mother, Fried sang them one of his famous songs.
On Sunday morning, July 6, the Sha’ar family was visited by members of the team who found their son’s body. “We didn’t know if they were alive or dead,” said one of the team members, “We began searching full of hope. With all the pain, we are glad to have found them. We could have missed them for years.”
Ofir, Gilad’s father, said: “We wanted to say thank you. We felt the army was with us. We encountered red eyes from fatigue. We knew that an effort was being made to find them alive. The cooperation mirrored what was happening generally – unity.”
Aryeh Savir is a staff writer for the Tazpit News Agency in Israel. He may be contacted via en@tazpit.org.il
Elsewhere, in announcing the capture of Shelly Dadon’s accused murder, police said that Hasin Halifa, a 34 year old Arab taxi driver, picked up Dadon, a resident of Afulah, who was on her way to a work interview on Thursday, May 1. Several hours later her body was found in a parking lot in Migdal Ha’Emek by a police patrol. Northern Command Police Chief Moshe Cohen stated at the time that her body was discovered with ‘signs of violence.’ The murder weapon, a knife, was recovered. Police said Halifa confessed that after the attack he washed his car and cleaned out the blood stains.
Halifa also reconstructed the murder with the police, a spokesman said. It is suspected that the attack was a terror attack, and not criminally motivated. A few days ago Chief of Police Yochanan Danino had updated the family on the developments.
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Aryeh Savir is a staff writer for the Tazpit News Agency in Israel. He may be contacted via en@tazpit.org.il