Destau Bisset, Hy”d; Photo courtesy of the family
Please click here for a list of posts relating to the mid-May Arab rioting throughout Israel.
Tuesday, October 19, 2021, 8:28 On Monday, October 18, the family of Destau Bisset, z”l, who was murdered in Ramle during the Arab riots at the time of Operation Guardian of the Walls, sent a letter to the heads of Knesset parties requesting their assistance with advancing the investigation of the murder, particularly with involving the GSS.
In their letter, the Bisset family cited their efforts to ensure that the investigation of the murder is not neglected: “When the deceased was hospitalized, the family ran from place to place locating areas in which security cameras were installed in order to transfer [documentation of the murder] to the police, instead of the police doing it.
“Since then, almost five months have passed since the murder, and the murderers have not yet been apprehended. We do not know how the investigation is progressing, or even if the investigation is still on-going.”
The consequences are felt also on an emotional level: “The family is not recognized by the authorities as victims of terror, and as of now, no professional from the government has approached the family. There has been complete disregard for the family.”
The family wrote that from the very earliest stages the investigation has been deficient: “Due to a serious failure on the part of the police, investigation of the incident began too late, which caused great difficulty in locating the murderers and bringing them to justice. Evidence of this is that two suspects were recently detained, whom the police are convinced were at the scene [of the attack] and carried out the murder. The judge extended their remand twice, but the third time [the suspects’ remand extension was considered], they were released due to problems with the evidence.
“Under these circumstances, we demand that the GSS immediately enter the investigation of this case, because it appears that the police are having difficulty progressing with the investigation. It is noticeable that they are incapable of advancing the investigation.
The family has called on the heads of Knesset parties for support and for assistance with increasing the efforts to solve the murder. “We turn to you with a request for help. We would appreciate your assistance in any way possible to bring our father’s murderers to justice. We would be happy to meet with you on this matter and to provide details. Our demand is simple: We want justice for our father, and we want an investigation that will bring results. Please bring the General Security Service into the investigation and bring the murderers to justice,” concluded the family.
Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher, who is representing the Bisset family as victims of terror: “This was an intentional murder of a Jew and an abandonment of the victim wallowing in his own blood. It must not be that dangerous murderers continue to walk free. Everything must be done to apprehend the murderers and bring them to trial. The blood of a Jew in the State of Israel is not cheap.”
Where is the police?
Where is the GSS?
Where is our security?
Photo credit: Honenu
On October 5, the Bisset family held a protest opposite the Office of the Prime Minister demanding that the GSS be brought into the investigation. Members of Knesset, public figures, rabbis and spiritual leaders of the Ethiopian community participated in the protest. Members of Knesset from the Religious Zionist party spoke at the protest, called on the government to bring the GSS into the investigation, assured the family that they would follow the continuation of the investigation from up close, and stated that they would act to have the murder solved by all possible means. The protest follows a demand for Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to order the GSS to launch a GSS investigation into the murder.
Destau Bisset, z”l, age 74, was run over by two Arabs riding electric bicycles in Ramle in May, during Operation Guardian of the Walls, and succumbed to his injuries approximately three weeks later. Eyewitnesses to the incident stated that the cyclists intentionally collided with Bisset, attempted to run over people waiting at a bus station and then fled the scene.
As of now, two suspects have been investigated for the murder and released due to lack of evidence. On September 6, Iman Abu Sif was released from remand to house arrest – see here and here for more details. In late July, the police detained a 16-year-old suspected of the murder, but to the dismay of the family, released him after approximately one week of remand. See here and here for more details.