Paramedics attempt to save the life of Danny Gonen after the terror attack. (Photo: Tazpit News Agency)In two separate incidents over the weekend, Palestinian terrorists shot and killed an Israeli man and left a police officer with severe stab wounds. Friday’s fatal shooting of Danny Gonen, 25, occurred in Samaria near the Jewish community of Dolev.
Gonen and a friend were in the vicinity to hike at a known natural spring. As they were driving away, a young Palestinian man flagged them down appearing to need assistance. After asking if the spring had any water in it, presumably to determine if Gonen and his friend were Jews, the Palestinian fired 10 bullets into the car from point blank range.
“You loved the Land of Israel. You also loved those who live in this land. You loved to travel. And you were murdered on a trip in the land that you loved,” wept Gonen’s mother, Devorah, at his funeral on Saturday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to bring the killer to justice, and Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel said he would petition to have the name of the spring changed to Ein Danny (“Danny’s Spring”). Ariel vowed that the terrorists “who did not want to see [Jewish] hikers will soon see thousands more Jews flocking to the area.”
Palestinian leaders across the board either excused or celebrated the slaying of an unarmed Jewish hiker.
“We welcome the unique and heroic operation that took place near Ramallah,” said Hamas spokesman Husam Badran. “We, and with us all our people, view with the utmost respect and appreciation those pure hands who held on to the resistance and turned their fire toward the occupier.”
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a key member of the PLO and Palestinian Authority, insisted that “the Palestinian people have a legitimate right to practice resistance of every type using any means.”
The WAFA news agency controlled by the regime of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas sought to legitimize the murder by labeling Gonen a “settler,” despite the fact that he lived in the town of Lod, firmly situated in Israel-proper. Several Palestinian Authority-controlled newspapers followed suit.
In other violence, an 18-year-old Palestinian man stabbed and severely wounded an Israeli police officer outside the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday morning.
The assailant was shot and killed either by his victim or another nearby officer. The wounded officer was reportedly on life support at a Jerusalem hospital.
At Sunday’s cabinet meeting, Netanyahu reminded the world that these weekend attacks weren’t isolated or random incidents. “We are faced with constant attempts to carry out terror attacks - unfortunately some of them succeed,” he said.
After being stabbed by Palestinian and seriously wounded, officer managed to neutralize his attacker. " israeltoday
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