Just before 9:00 p.m. local (Israel) time Thursday, Rabbi Eitam and Rabbanit Na’ama Henkin, of Neria, Israel were slaughtered in their car, while driving their children between Elon Moreh and Itamar in the hills of the Shomron.
It appears Rabbi Henkin was murdered in the initial burst of gunfire by terrorists from the nearby Arab village of Beit Furik. He was found on the ground just outside the stopped car by rescue personnel. His wife, riddled with bullets, was in the passenger seat. Both were were pronounced dead by medics who soon arrived on the scene.
Their four children; a four-month-old baby, a four year old, a seven-year-old, and a nine-year-old were extracted from the car by rescue personnel and taken to nearby Itamar Junction with light (physical) injuries.
The Henkin’s taught at the Nishmat Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies for Women in Jerusalem, founded by Rabbanit Chana Henkin, who also serves as Dean of the school. Rabbi Eitam Henkin also served as an officer in the Zahal commando unit, Sayaret Matkal.
Just the day before, “P.A. President” Abu Mazen, currently in the tenth year of his four-year term of office, had openly renounced (not that the Fakestinian Authority has ever abode by their terms) the 1994 Oslo Peace Accords.
Upon the news of these murders hitting the press, a spokesman for Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamah al-ʾIslāmiyyah (HAMAS), praised the murders, calling it “heroic” and describing it as “brave resistance.”
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, in his reaction to the news stated:
“…The killers knew that they were murdering a mother and father, the children were there. It has been proven again that the wild Palestinian incitement leads to acts of terrorism and murder such as we have seen this evening.”
Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi David Lau stated:
“Despite the (Sukkot) holiday and its joy, the entire nation is pained and cries at the murder of the parents who were sacrificed in kiddush Hashem (sanctification of G-d’s name) just because they were Jews,”
He called on the Nation to say Tehillim (Psalms) and learn Torah and Talmud in the merit of the deceased. Focusing then on the orphaned children he stated:
“The tender orphans are the children of the entire people of Israel; we will strengthen them, we will embrace the family and despite the great sadness and the awful pain we will continue to pray and believe that the Guardian of Israel will guard the remnant of Israel, and we will soon merit the redemption of the people of Israel.”
Eitam and Na’ama Henkin… May your blood be avenged!
A correction…Rabbanit Naama did not found Nishmat, her mother-in-law Rabbanit Chana Henkin did. My daughter attended Nishmat as a seminary student several years ago and I visited her there during her year in Israel. These were truly extraordinary human beings in every way. Scholars and humanitarians and builders of good things. Arabs only destroy. I don’t have words for this atrocity.
Fatah has claimed responsibility for the murders.
too much sadness, HaKodesh Borchu please send Mashiach now
Jeanette, yes… Easy or hard, he will come.
Thank you, Shifra, for the correction. Yes… “Pere Adam”.
The longer we wait to face our destiny squarely, the tougher the lessons will become.
Eitam and Na’ama Henkin… May your blood be avenged!!!!
The sooner the better!
Update; per DebkaFile:
” …military sources report that he crime was committed by a Palestinian team of two terrorists, one armed with an M-16 automatic rifle, the other with a pistol. They directed a hail of bullets to pentrate the Israeli family car’s windscreen. The two parents were both killed. This attack was deliberately planned. The gunmen waited for the car to slow down just before a curve in the road before they opened fire. They had also prepared their getaway route. ”
Also, it appears Rabbanit Na’ama Henkin was the first killed. Her husband, mortally wounded, exited the stopped car, opened the door to his children, trying to get them out that they might flee and live, but he soon died from his chest wounds.
Much like the Fogel family blood-bath up the road in Itamar, where the terrorists heard the three-month old baby crying and returned to their home to cut off it’s head, the terrorist killers of the Henkins returned to the car, to kill the children. As other cars were coming, the murderers fled the scene before completing their “heroic act of resistance”.