Killing of Rabbi Meir Hai
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The killing of Rabbi Meir Hai was an attack carried out by
Palestinian Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
Fatah militants on 24 December 2009 in the
West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
.


Background

Rabbi Meir Avshalom Hai (alt. Chai) was a 45-year-old Israeli Rabbi and father of seven who lived in the Israeli settlement of Shavei Shomron located in the northern West Bank, where had resided for 14 years before his murder. Hai was a
Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...
teacher and principal at the Shavei Shomron school. Hai was the son-in-law of the former Emanuel mayor Eliyahu Merav and was also a well-known member of the Bratslav Hassidic community.


The attack

On Thursday, 24 December 2009, at around 16:30 pm Hai drove his
minivan Minivan (sometimes called simply as van) is a North American car classification for vehicles designed to transport passengers in the rear seating row(s), with reconfigurable seats in two or three rows. The equivalent classification in Europe is ...
out of the village of
Einav Einav ( he, עֵנָב) is an Israeli settlement organized as a community settlement in the northern West Bank, located adjacent to the Palestinian village of Ramin, in constr It is located on Highway 57 between Avnei Hefetz and Shavei Shomron ...
and headed towards his home at Shavei Shomron. While driving on Highway 57, a group of Palestinian militants driving a
golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...
vehicle drove next to Hai's vehicle and opened fire at him, apparently with an automatic weapon. Hai was hit in the head from 10 bullets. As a result, Hai's vehicle swerved to the side of the road. After the attack the attackers fled the scene and abandoned their vehicle near the village Asira ash-Shamaliya after they set the vehicle on fire in order to conceal any evidence connecting the perpetrators to the event. A team of
Magen David Adom The Magen David Adom ( he, מגן דוד אדום, abbr. MDA, pronounced ''MAH-dah'' per its Hebrew acronym, ) is Israel's national emergency medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank service. The name means "Red Shield" or "Red Star of Dav ...
paramedics was urged to the scene. They found Hai in his car, unconscious, bleeding massively, with no pulse and not breathing. After resuscitation efforts the paramedics team pronounced his death.Father of seven shot dead in West Bank terror attack
''Jerusalem Post'' 25 December 2009
Ethan Bronner

''New York Times'' 26 December 2009
According to an anonymous Israel Defense Forces officer, a week before the attack, Israel had removed a traffic-monitoring
roadblock A roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be: *Roadworks *Temporary road closure during special events *Police chase *Robbery * Sobriety checkpoint In peaceful circumstances ...
about from where Hai was shot. The attackers apparently fled through the point where the roadblock previously stood, to the village of Asira ash-Shamaliya.


The militants

The Imad Mughniyeh Group, a little-known affiliate of the
Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades () is a coalition of Palestinian armed groups in the West Bank. The organization has been designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the European Union, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States. L ...
, the armed wing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group said its members "withdrew from the area safely." It also warned of "a series of attacks to come." The three militants involved in the killing were: :*Raed Sarkaji, a
Tanzim ''Tanzim'' ( ar, تنظيم ', "Organization") is a militant faction of the Palestinian Fatah movement. Overview The Tanzim militia, founded in 1995 by Yasser Arafat and other Fatah leaders to counter Palestinian Islamism, is widely consider ...
operative who was released in January 2009 from an Israeli prison after serving a seven-year sentence on terror charges; :*Anan Subuh, an
Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades () is a coalition of Palestinian armed groups in the West Bank. The organization has been designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the European Union, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States. L ...
operative pardoned by Israel as part of a 2007 deal, under which 400 Fatah militants handed in their weapons, promised to cease their terror activity, and in return were assured that the IDF would stop pursuing them; and :*Raghan Abu Sharah.


Initial statements

The
Yesha Council The Yesha Council ( he, מועצת יש"ע, ''Mo'etzet Yesha'', which is the Hebrew acronym for Yehuda Shomron, Aza, lit. "Judea Samaria and Gaza Council") is an umbrella organization of municipal councils of Jewish settlements in the West Ban ...
stated that
the murderous shooting attack in Samaria is a direct result of the policy of lifting restrictions on the Palestinians, removal of necessary road blocks in Judea and Samaria and the transfer of the responsibility for security to those whose ranks produced many terrorists who murdered Jews. As in the case of similar incidents in the past, once again the gestures aimed at alestinian President Mahmoud AbbasAbu Mazen carry a price tag of Jewish blood.
Israeli Interior Minister
Eli Yishai Eliyahu "Eli" Yishai ( he, אליהו "אלי" ישי, born 26 December 1962) is an Israeli politician. A former leader of Shas, he represented the party in the Knesset from 1996 until 2015, also holding several ministerial posts, including bein ...
, Justice Minister
Yaakov Neeman Yaakov Neeman ( he, יעקב נאמן, 16 September 1939 – 1 January 2017) was an Israeli lawyer who also served as Minister of Justice and Minister of Finance. Biography Neeman was born to a religious Zionist family in Tel Aviv during the Ma ...
, and Members of Knesset Yaakov Katz and
Uri Ariel Uri Yehuda Ariel ( he, אורי אריאל, born 22 December 1952) is an Israeli politician who formerly served as a member of the Knesset for The Jewish Home (within which he chaired the Tkuma faction), and as Minister of Agriculture and Rural ...
attended Hai's funeral. Yishai stated that "Hundreds and thousands of children are crying over the loss of the rabbi," referring to the Jewish learning institutes Hai had set up.PA arrests, releases 150 attack suspects
''Jerusalem Post'' 25 December 2009
Israeli Member of Knesset
Michael Ben-Ari Michael Ben-Ari ( he, מיכאל בן ארי, born 12 October 1963) is an Israeli politician, and former member of the Knesset. During the 18th Knesset, Ben Ari was a member of the National Union party, until it broke up as elections for the 1 ...
, from the far-right National Union party, said that "the path of capitulation, the opening of arteries, the ettlementfreeze and the release of alestinianprisoners that
rime Minister Benjamin Rime may refer to: *Rime ice, ice that forms when water droplets in fog freeze to the outer surfaces of objects, such as trees Rime is also an alternative spelling of "rhyme" as a noun: *Syllable rime, term used in the study of phonology in ling ...
Netanyahu has brought down upon us signals to terrorists that Jewish blood is negligible. The terrorist probably thinks that he will be released in the next exchange."


Response


Israeli response

On 26 December, IDF
Duvdevan Unit Unit 217, frequently called Duvdevan ( he, דובדבן, lit=cherry), is a ''mistaʽaravim'' unit in the Commando Brigade of the Israel Defense Forces. It is notable for its undercover operations in urban areas, during which its operators o ...
and Nahshon Battalion troops conducted an operation in separate locations in Nablus to locate three of the Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades operatives who were determined by the
Shin Bet The Israel Security Agency (ISA; he, שֵׁירוּת הַבִּיטָּחוֹן הַכְּלָלִי; ''Sherut ha-Bitaẖon haKlali''; "the General Security Service"; ar, جهاز الأمن العام), better known by the acronym Shabak ( he, ...
to be behind the attack: Raghsan Abu Sharah, Raed a-Sarkaji and Anan Sabah.Police identify gun seized in IDF operation as instrument of Chai's murder
''Jerusalem Post'' 27 December 2009
The fourth suspect reportedly turned himself in to Israeli authorities prior to the operation.
Ynet News 26 December 2009
Short confrontations took place at the homes of Abu Sharah and a-Sarkaji. IDF forces used different methods including shots in the air in order to make the two surrender. Both refused, though Abu Sharah sent out his wife. In the third location, where Sabah was staying, a several-hour-long standoff included the firing of an antitank missile toward the house, in an attempt to force Sabah out. All three were shot dead by Israeli troops following their refusal to surrender. An
M16 rifle The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-ro ...
seized from Sabah was later identified by a police forensics lab as the weapon used in the attack. Sabah had been released from an Israeli prison as part of the amnesty deal with the Palestinian Authority in 2007, in which Israel agreed not to hunt down Palestinian gunmen who agreed to lay down their arms.Rifle seized in Nablus raid linked to settler's murder
Ynet News 27 December 2009
Major Peter Lerner, spokesman for Israel's Central Command stated that all three had been involved in anti-Israel violence in the past through activities in the Aksa Martyrs Brigades. The following day, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
stated at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting:
I want to praise the Shin Bet and the IDF on the speedy operation against the cell which murdered Rabbi Meir Hai. Our policy against terrorism is clear. We will continue to respond aggressively – against any attack on Israeli citizens and against any firing of rockets or missiles at Israeli territory.PM praises IDF, Shin Bet for Nablus raid
''Jerusalem Post'' 27-12-2009
Palestinian Prime Minister
Salam Fayyad Salam Fayyad ( ar, سلام فياض, ; born 1951 or 12 April 1952) is a Jordanian-Palestinian politician and former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority and Finance Minister. He was Finance Minister from June 2002 to November 2005 and ...
condemned the Israeli operation as an "assassination" and "an attempt to target the state of security and stability that the Palestinian Authority has been able to achieve." The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades threatened a quick response to the operation, stating: "This is a despicable ... We will not stand idly by and the holy warriors' blood will not be shed in vain. The enemy will see nothing but the language of blood and fire. It he enemywill pay for the crime … the response will be quick." The shooting was cited in newspaper editorials demanding greater security for Israelis in the West Bank."Security is a Must,"
editorial, 3 September 2010, Jerusalem Post.


Palestinian Authority response

On 25 December, the Palestinian Authority stated that its security forces had rounded up, interrogated and released some 150 suspects in connection with the attack. According to an Israel Radio report, most of the suspects were residents of Tulkarem, and two of them were still being interrogated as of 25 December. Sources in the IDF lauded the conduct of the Palestinian security establishment in its response to the killing of Hai, calling it "determined and impressive." Fatah officials warned that the killing of its operatives could trigger a third intifada, which would be directed not against Israel but against the (Fatah-controlled) Palestinian Authority. During the funerals of the three men, thousands of Palestinians chanted slogans accusing the PA of collusion with Israel and calling for the dismantling of the PA. The funerals were described by a local journalist as "one of the biggest anti-Palestinian Authority demonstrations" in many years. In addition, the Fatah named a soccer tournament in honor of the militants, called the "Martyrs Raed Al-Sarkaji, Anan Subh, Ghassan Abu Sharakh, and Haitham Al-Naana Ramadan Football Championship" as reported in the Palestinian newspaper Al-Hayat Al-Jadida.


See also

*
Palestinian political violence Palestinian political violence refers to acts of violence perpetrated for political ends in relation to the State of Palestine or in connection with Palestinian nationalism. Common political objectives include self-determination in and sovere ...
* Tapuah Junction stabbing (2010)


External links


Murder of Rabbi Meir Avshalom Chai
- published at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs

- published on
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...
on 24 December 2009
Gunmen kill Israeli in West Bank shooting attack
- published on
The Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington ...
on 24 December 2009
Israeli killed in West Bank shooting attack
- published on
Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was esta ...
on 24 December 2009
Israeli settler killed in West Bank shooting
- published on
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
on 24 December 2009
West Bank: Israeli Settler Killed
- published on
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
on 24 December 2009


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hai, Meir People of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict 2009 crimes in the Palestinian territories Israeli murder victims Drive-by shootings Deaths by firearm in the West Bank 2009 murders in Asia