Terrorist’s family allowed to complete second story

Sunday, February 18, 2018, 18:06 On the afternoon of Sunday, February 18, the Attorney General’s office submitted a reply to the High Court of Justice regarding the petition filed by the Salomon family demanding that the State of Israel order the complete demolition of the house of the terrorist who murdered three members of their family in Halamish on Shabbat, July 21, 2017. The State replied that not only do they not intend to demolish the house, they will allow the construction of the second story to be completed. Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher: “A terrorist’s house with the backing of representatives of the State will become a symbol that Jewish blood is cheap.”
The response submitted by Attorney Ro’i Shwekey, who holds a senior position in the Attorney General’s office, states that concerning the second story of the terrorist’s house, the demolition of which the Salomon family demanded in a petition filed with High Court of Justice, “There is no factual or legal obstacle to completing the construction of this story and making use of it.” Therefore the State not only does not intend to demolish the entire house, but rather is allowing the terrorist’s family to construct a second story.
After the terrorist’s house was partially demolished, the Salomon family filed a petition demanding that the house be completely demolished. In the petition the Salomon family reiterated that several members of the terrorist’s family were convicted of failure to prevent the terror attack.
In the State’s response Attorney Swekey also wrote that, “On 18.10.2017, members of the terrorist’s family turned… to the representative of the Attorney General’s office in the Yehuda and Shomron region and announced they intend to remove the debris from the demolition of the first story in order to allow access to the staircase leading to the second story. This is in order to complete the construction of the second story and make use of it.”
Nonetheless, clarified the terrorist’s family by means of their attorney, they do not intend “to make any use of the first story, on which there is a impound order, other than for access to the stairs and from them to access the second story,” wrote Swekey in the response by the State.
The Salomon family was shocked by the State’s response. Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher, who is representing the family and filed the petition on their behalf, leveled sharp criticism: “The response by the State should shake the foundations of society. The State is allowing the contemptible family of a terrorist, some of whose members were convicted of being able to prevent the terror attack and not doing so, and also backing the act of terror after the slaughter, to rebuild their house over the site of their former house using terror funding.
“It is difficult to say these things, but the house of terrorists with the backing of representatives of the State will become a symbol that Jewish blood is cheap. And anyone who wants to spill our blood will be rewarded. We call on the leaders of the State to come to their senses and act to save the citizens of Israel from this dangerous and humiliating situation.”
At a High Court deliberation on Sunday, February 4, concerning the demolition, Michal Salomon, the widow of Elad, Hy”d, turned to the justices and demanded that they order the IDF to complete the demolition of the house.
Following the deliberation, Salomon stated that, “At the conclusion of the deliberation I turned to the justices and told them that we are here for one reason – the need to create a deterrence factor in order to prevent the next terror attack. No-one has any idea what it’s really like being a being a bereaved family. There are entire lives involved here. There is great suffering. There are many decisions that we must make alone. And we are here so that this family, this family of bereavement, will cease to grow, so that no more new members will join. I sincerely hope that the court [justices] truly consider these matters, and that they understand that forsaking human life starts here, by preventing deterrents.”