Israeli government ministers were among the many Jews who visited the family of 17-year-old Arab Jerusalem resident Muhammed Abu-Khdeir, who was apparently killed by right-wing radicals on July 2.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Muhammed’s father Hussein on July 7.
“I would like to express my outrage and that of the citizens of Israel over the reprehensible murder of your son. We acted immediately to apprehend the murderers. We will bring them to trial and they will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law. We denounce all brutal behavior; the murder of your son is abhorrent and cannot be countenanced by any human being.”
Writing in Hebrew on his Facebook page, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon described Abu-Khdeir’s killers as “not representing the Jewish people and its values. We should treat them as we treat terrorists.”
“There’s no difference between the bloods,” said (Hebrew link) Finance Minister Yair Lapid. “The law enforcement agencies must act with determination and a hard hand against the murderers and bring them to justice.”
The leader of the opposition Isaac Herzog told his Facebook followers “I have Muhammed’s photo in front of me: a young innocent boy, the same age as my own children. How can people lose their humanity and carry out such a cruel murder?”
Meanwhile, some Arab leaders have apologized for the actions or Arab rioters against Jewish civilians. Mayor of Qalansuwa Abdel Basset Salame said “we deeply regret what happened in Qalansuwa and the Arab sector, and condemn everything that happened from the riots and attacks that harm the reputation of the town. We reach out to our neighbors, the Jews, to apologize to them regarding the attacks on Jewish citizens. Once calm is restored in this region we will go in person to the neighboring Jewish villages and apologize to them directly. We’re looking for a shared life, quiet and free from tension. We wish to end the confrontation so that our Jewish neighbors will visit the town without any hesitation.”
[Photo: Leland Francisco / flickr]