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Last update - 17:00 17/04/2009
Netanyahu tells IDF: Make every effort to catch Bat Ayin murderer
By Anshel Pfeffer, Jonathan Lis, and Nadav Shragai, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service, and News Agencies
Tags: Israel News, West Bank 

Two days after being sworn in as prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement condemning the terror attack earlier Thursday in the West Bank settlement of Bat Ayin, in which an axe-wielding Palestinian killed a 13-year-old boy and left another boy, 7, moderately hurt.

The attacker apparently entered Bat Ayin, located between Jerusalem and the southern West Bank city of Hebron, unhindered. The religious settlers have refused to build a security fence around their community - standard practice in most settlements - saying it would be a sign of weakness.

The perpetrator was thought to have fled the scene of the attack and the Israel Defense Forces were searching for him well into the evening.
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The prime minister was briefed on the attack and the subsequent manhunt during the course of the day. A statement issued by his office said that "Netanyahu exclaimed that he views the attack with the utmost gravity, and that he has instructed the defense and security forces to make every effort to speedily apprehend the murderer."

The IDF said Thursday night that they had obtained information on the identity of the attacker and that they expected to make an arrest within several hours.

IDF officers have been combing the West Bank village of Safa, which is adjacent to Bat Ayin, and have already made several arrests.

Earlier Thursday, Channel 2 television reported that the terrorist was a local Palestinian employee.


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The teenage victim, identified as Shlomo Nativ, sustained critical head wounds and later died while receiving medical care, Magen David Adom rescue personnel said. The 7-year-old victim was evacuated to Hadassah Ein Karem in Jerusalem for treatment.

Security guards at the settlement wounded the attacker before he fled, said Shaul Goldstein, a settler leader. "The security team here managed to shoot and hit the terrorist, but he managed to escape," he told Army Radio.

Israel Radio reported that the military wing of Islamic Jihad and a lesser-known faction identifying itself as the "Imad Mughniyeh Group" claimed joint responsibility for the attack.

The dead youth was the son of Haim and Revital Nativ, one of the original settlers who founded Bat Ayin, a community of secular-cum-religious Jews. Among the residents of Bat Ayin are followers of the Braslav Hassidic sect and many Chabad devotees.

Revital Nativ moved to Bat Ayin from Kibbutz Hatzor, and her husband is a long-time teacher. He runs a women's religious seminary in Jerusalem that has published children's books.

Immediately after the attack, a passerby confronted the terrorist and wrested the axe from his possession. The terrorist subsequently broke free from the passerby's grasp and fled the scene, Channel 2 reported.

Bat Ayin officials said residents in the settlement were instructed to remain in their homes. Security forces in the vicinity have also been advised to remain on high alert.

Bat Ayin, situated in the Etzion bloc south of Jerusalem near the Palestinian cities of Bethlehem and Hebron, is not ringed by a security fence, residents told Channel 2. This is apparently for ideological reasons.

This was the first attack in the Etzion Bloc since January 2008, when two students were wounded after two terrorists armed with knives broke into their yeshiva.

'He tried to stab me. I kicked him, he kicked me.'

The Palestinian terrorist was immediately confronted by a passerby who forcibly removed the weapon from his hand.

"He tried to stab me. I kicked him, he kicked me," the settler, who gave his name only as Avinoam, told Channel 10.

"I saw the seven-year-old boy running, the axe-wielding terrorist was running after him," Avinoam said. "I ran toward the terrorist and he tried to raise the axe over me with the aim of killing me."

"I caught his hand and struggled with him, while calling other people to come and help. First I caught the hand holding the axe so that he couldn't kill me, I somehow managed to grab the axe. He succeeded in escaping and I shouted to somebody to run after him."

"At first I thought he was a laborer and that this wasn't a serious incident, but then I realized it was an Arab," Avinoam said.

"I wouldn't have a clue if this was somebody who was employed here in an illegal manner, because we don't employ Arabs. He was not dressed-up (for work), he looked normal. He had a longing for murder in his eyes.'

"The struggle lasted several minutes," Avinoam said, adding that the terrorist was saying something along the lines of "I will kill, I will kill" while the two were struggling.

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      1.   TERROR? 13:41  |  Stephen Connor 02/04/09
      2.   comment 13:57  |  tyrone 02/04/09
      3.   Steve #1...Your "sensible" definition of terror just doesn`t jive 13:57  |  Meir Gush Etzion 02/04/09
      4.   Response to #1 13:59  |  Yehudah 02/04/09
      5.   Put back the roadblocks 14:03  |  Zev 02/04/09
      6.   Insane maybe? 14:03  |  Palestinian Brit 02/04/09
      7.   Coward targets children: Tanhumim 14:04  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 02/04/09
      8.   to #1...Terror is Terror 14:05  |  John 02/04/09
      9.   #1 14:05  |  Italian Zionist 02/04/09
      10.   Psycopath? 14:06  |  Butchiebe 02/04/09
      11.   Nice try, Pal Brit, but no cigar.. 14:10  |  Nemesis 02/04/09
      12.   Terror? Yes 14:11  |  eli 02/04/09
      13.   This attack must be condemned by every single Israel-critic.... 14:15  |  Swiss (Dino) 02/04/09
      14.   Where is the western world and... 14:22  |  Democratic warrior 02/04/09
      15.   This is one of many, many attempts to murder Jews which have been 14:28  |  Jehudah Ben-Israel 02/04/09
      16.   Fools 14:42  |  Hannah 02/04/09
      17.   The problem: local Palestinian Society 14:48  |  Avi 02/04/09
      18.   what a cowardous attack on children! how sick! 14:48  |  Ernst 02/04/09
      19.   palestinian brit 14:50  |  Real vision 02/04/09
      20.   Very ugly 14:50  |  Rmez 02/04/09
      21.   Murder from the Moderate West Bank 14:50  |  Avi 02/04/09
      22.   Psychopathic resistance? 14:50  |  Edward 02/04/09
      23.   Children are never legit targets 14:53  |  English Resident 02/04/09
      24.   Killer of children 14:56  |  Brod 02/04/09
      25.   eli, beit shemesh. 14:58  |  joan 02/04/09
      26.   Doesn`t change a thing. 14:59  |  JBT 02/04/09
      27.   terrorist murderer 15:00  |  naive observer 02/04/09
      28.   Terrorism = To Cause Terror 15:02  |  A Mother 02/04/09
      29.   terror attack 15:05  |  yinon 02/04/09
      30.   To kill a child is just not acceptable no matter what the reason. 15:15  |  Muslim 02/04/09
      31.   you don`t attack children 15:16  |  rm 02/04/09
      32.   Utterly appalling, but fully expected 15:19  |  Ari 02/04/09
      33.   Margie in Tel Aviv. How many children targeted in Gaza? 15:22  |  Palestinian Brit 02/04/09
      34.   Palestinian Brit 18:07  |  el jefe 02/04/09
      35.   Terror v. Murder 18:16  |  Stephen Connor 02/04/09
      36.   Targeting children PalBrit? 18:19  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 02/04/09
      37.   Butchiebe 18:20  |  Stephen Connor 02/04/09
      38.   The headline just said "child" so we knew the victim was Jewish 18:21  |  chrisrushlau 02/04/09
      39.   To Swiss (Dino # 13). Always the same rhetoric. 18:27  |  flyingdoc57 02/04/09
      40.   Rmez: A query 18:27  |  Stephen Connor 02/04/09
      41.   #33 Targeting children PalBrit 18:41  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 02/04/09
      42.   Shlomo, another innocent victim 18:48  |  V 02/04/09
      43.   to 13 19:29  |  dean 02/04/09
      44.   response to Edward 19:51  |  Talia 02/04/09
      45.   PalBrit- Why would Islamic Jihad take credit? 19:53  |  Critical Reader 02/04/09
      46.   Swiss, who holds Arabs to lower standards 19:55  |  Gina 02/04/09
      47.   terror!!!!!!!! 19:56  |  bemola 02/04/09
      48.   Avi, the problem is Israeli Society 19:57  |  Ibrahim 02/04/09
      49.   Palestinian Brit - Should this murderer be apprended? 19:57  |  Gina 02/04/09
      50.   Poor mother 19:59  |  Fares 02/04/09
      51.   "Imad Mughniyeh Group" = neandrathals 19:59  |  Akiva P 02/04/09
      52.   Israel should stop using settlers as human shields 19:59  |  Tarik 02/04/09
      53.   For every action there is an opposite reaction 20:03  |  Me 02/04/09
      54.   Oh! It`s all our fault ! 20:05  |  Akiva P 02/04/09
      55.   answer to 33 20:08  |  bronxite10 02/04/09
      56.   Are they passing out sweets amongst the pals? Any celebrations? 20:09  |  curious 02/04/09
      57.   Akiva in Oak Park and his RACIST statements 20:14  |  Ibrahim 02/04/09
      58.   Ibrahim,when someone acts like an animal it`s not "racist` 20:57  |  a spade is a spade 02/04/09
      59.   Palestinian Brit and "targeting children" 20:59  |  SDHD 02/04/09
      60.   #13 Swiss , An advocate of terror 21:00  |  TOMY 02/04/09
      61.   Father in Jail...... 21:01  |  Joan 02/04/09
      62.   If only someone would finish the settlers off 21:05  |  Ahimaaz 02/04/09
      63.   To #57 - Ibrahim 21:07  |  Col [Res] Cohen 02/04/09
      64.   Father in Jail...... 21:10  |  Joan 02/04/09
      65.   settlers terrorize the palastinians every day. 21:10  |  billy jack 02/04/09
      66.   I know you`re in S Diego but 21:12  |  jennifer 02/04/09
      67.   total hypocrisy 21:13  |  potobac 02/04/09
      68.   Not a worker but a terrorist disguised as a Jewish "settler" 21:14  |  Realist 02/04/09
      69.   Misguided Palestinian Brit 21:14  |  SDHD 02/04/09
      70.   #62 Ahimaaz expressed the animal point of view 21:16  |  Settler Babe 02/04/09
      71.   This has been going on for many years. It is time to STOP 21:20  |  Realist 02/04/09
      72.   Stephen Connor`s query 21:20  |  SDHD 02/04/09
      73.   The death penalty for child murderers? No more Kuntars! 21:21  |  Realist 02/04/09
      74.   Ibrahim thinks he identifies the problem 21:22  |  SDHD 02/04/09
      75.   Joan misses her own point 21:25  |  peter 02/04/09
      76.   Creating Insanity 21:28  |  Esra 02/04/09
      77.   swiss is the most samctimonious person on the site 21:28  |  rolex 02/04/09
      78.   # 39 / # 46 / # 60 Sorry guys, but the statistical trend.... 21:28  |  Swiss (Dino) 02/04/09
      79.   Did anyone else notice? 21:29  |  KR 02/04/09
      80.   Killing a little boy with an axe is very personal 21:29  |  Hanan Amos 02/04/09
      81.   so potobac the fact that his father tried to murder 21:31  |  harzion 02/04/09
      82.   The IDF is instructed to apprehend 21:33  |  Ira (Devil advocate) 02/04/09
      83.   ibrahim 21:33  |  harzion 02/04/09
      84.   PAL BRIT How many children TARGETTED in Gaza? NONE 21:40  |  PETER SM 02/04/09
      85.   WILL the killer become the next Al Jazeera pan Arab hero? 21:42  |  PETER SM 02/04/09
      86.   The attempt to cause attrition-through-terror of the Jews of the 22:29  |  Jehudah Ben-Israel 02/04/09
      87.   Peter - circumstantial evidence 22:36  |  Palestinian Brit 02/04/09
      88.   Take a deep breath 23:46  |  Michael N 02/04/09
      89.   Murder of children, Margie of Tel Aviv 23:59  |  Tony Price 02/04/09
      90.   Stephen Connor, regarding terror 00:02  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 03/04/09
      91.   harzion 00:03  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 03/04/09
      92.   Lumping anything together as "terrorism" 00:06  |  Marc Leb 03/04/09
      93.   Human or Beast? 01:38  |  Rudolph 03/04/09
      94.   #90 Well, Cipora 01:48  |  ballistic 03/04/09
      95.   Say unrealistic Realistic 02:00  |  ballistic 03/04/09
      96.   #71 Say Realist with feigned indignation! 02:05  |  ballistic 03/04/09
      97.   But "we" wanted to Please Palestinians by removing road blocks.. 02:06  |  Ronit 03/04/09
      98.   89## Murder of "400 Palestinian children" 02:09  |  Ronit 03/04/09
      99.   Cohen #63 02:47  |  Mona 03/04/09
      100.   PALBRIT the targets were Hamas fighters NOT the children there 03:05  |  PETER SM 03/04/09
      101.   PRICE TARGETTING children is murder deliberately exposing them 03:11  |  PETER SM 03/04/09
      102.   Typical 03:32  |  Philippe 03/04/09
      103.   Ahimaaz 03:34  |  Philippe 03/04/09
      104.   Stephen Connor.....lol....terror not a murder? 04:17  |  MMM 03/04/09
      105.   Cipora, thanks for the definition of terrorism 04:21  |  Ibrahim 03/04/09
      106.   Rushed judgements? 04:46  |  Rod 03/04/09
      107.   harzion 04:47  |  potobac 03/04/09
      108.   Condolences 04:52  |  Fiona 03/04/09
      109.   Righteous Indignation 05:23  |  Dovid ben Hertzeliya 03/04/09
      110.   Righteous Indignation 05:29  |  Dovid ben Hertzeliya 03/04/09
      111.   to phillippe 05:41  |  Andrew Lawson 03/04/09
      112.   My Condolences no matter who the murderer is 06:06  |  Palestinian 03/04/09
      113.   Andrew Lawson`s "one person" 06:09  |  SDHD 03/04/09
      114.   #97, same sources as the ones you believe... 06:10  |  Tony Price 03/04/09
      115.   re 13 Swissy alert 06:37  |  alan the real one 03/04/09
      116.   #3 meir Gush Etzion - Disgusting? yes. 06:41  |  Christopher 03/04/09
      117.   Say ballistic 06:43  |  Leos 03/04/09
      118.   Oooh come on you don`t even know how many children (if any) were 06:51  |  Leos 03/04/09
      119.   Tony Price buying into the PR 07:07  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 03/04/09
      120.   So it wasn`t a terrorist attack? 07:36  |  Tzfonit 03/04/09
      121.   insane 07:55  |  ? 03/04/09
      122.   ROD This childs father is jailed by Israelis for his plot 08:02  |  PETER SM 03/04/09
      123.   this attack is inexcusable; but there`s also a question(3rd try) 11:20  |  eric 03/04/09
      124.   Yes eric that man was verbally abused so often he had decided 14:27  |  Leos 03/04/09
      125.   # 124 there`s "other" possible reasons, leos 22:25  |  eric 03/04/09
      126.   margie in ta 119 00:52  |  potobac 04/04/09
      127.   SDHD 03:29  |  Andrew Lawson 04/04/09
      128.   Not the first attack in Etzion since Jan 2008 10:55  |  Rod 04/04/09
      129.   #126; potobac, the answer to your quetion is YES 20:05  |  DOC HOLLIDAY 05/04/09
      130.   Re # 3 Meir I sense that Steve... wanted to degrade 23:51  |  ines 05/04/09
      131.   Re # Steve..there is terror all over not only in the region 23:56  |  ines 05/04/09
      132.   Mmm. Innes, the numbers just don`t add up , I`m afraid. 14:18  |  Rod 17/04/09
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