Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., July 08, 2008 Tamuz 5, 5768 | | Israel Time: 05:19 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Last update - 16:28 07/07/2008
Relative: Initial police failure to kill bulldozer terrorist cost victim her life
By Shahar Ilan, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Jerusalem, Israel, bulldozer 

A representative of the families who lost loved ones in last week's bulldozer attack in Jerusalem told the Knesset Internal Affairs Committee on Monday that the fact that police failed to immediately kill the perpetrator had cost a life that could have been spared.

Hussam Duwiyat, who killed three people in a stolen bulldozer in Jerusalem on Wednesday had been initially shot, but rallied despite his wounds, and launched a second rampage, taking the life of 33-year-old Bat-Sheva Unterman.

Avraham Kol Tuv, a relative of Unterman's, told the Knesset committee that "the fact that [the policeman] didn't make sure he was dead cost my relative's life. A man that goes on a killing spree loses his right to live. If [the policeman] had killed him, I wouldn't be sitting here."
Advertisement
Kol Tuv went on to urge the government to demolish the home of Duwiyat's family as a deterrence measure, to prevent the deaths of more victims.

Hassan Abu Asli, the community leader in Duwiyat's village, said during the Knesset hearing that the killing was not an ideological act, and asked that the government refrain from punishing his family and demolishing their home.

"I can't imagine this was a nationalistic act. It resulted from a malfunction in the head, or maybe something happened to him at work, or something personal. This is a man that dealt with drugs, women and petty theft. He is not a man that would perpetrate ideological murder. The fact is that no militant organization claimed responsibility for his act," he said.

Abu Salim also argued that Duwiyat's grandfather habitually went insane every summer and beat people in the streets. He suggested that the same "bug" had affected Duwiyat himself.

He went on to urge the government to refrain from demolishing the family's home, saying that doing so could spark further attacks. He also criticized the shooting of his relative, saying "they could have grabbed him by the ear and removed him from the bulldozer, or neutralized him by his hand or leg."

Abu Salim's remarks sparked a storm among the committee members. Committee Chairman Ophir Pines-Paz (Labor) said: "Next time, we'll be sure to call you."

MK Moshe Kahlon (Likud) said: "You are inviting the next terror attack. When there is a bulldozer attack you confiscate the bulldozer and demolish the house."

Deputy State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan stressed that there was no specific ruling regarding the demolition of the homes of Duwiyat and Ala Abu Dhaim who gunned down eight people at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem in March. He said that the state's decision on the matter only constituted the beginning of a procedure.

Nitzan surprised the committee when he said that the Shani Committee report from 2005 recommended that terrorists' homes not be demolished - not because doing so failed to deter potential terrorists, but rather because the number of terror attacks had decreased, the international criticism the demolition drew and the ongoing debate over the effectiveness of the measure.

Former Jerusalem police chief Mickey Levy said that it wasn't moral to make sure the perpetrator was dead. "Police officers neutralize. They don't confirm kills. The police officer made the right decision," he told the committee.

Levy added that the true hero of the incident was a policewoman, "A 22-year-old girl sees a bulldozer on a rampage. She decides to shoot the driver from 25 meters and hits him with two bullets." Levy added that after the terror cell responsible for the attacks in Moment Cafe; and at a Jerusalem university was apprehended, the homes of the cell members were either sealed off or blown up, and the measure had "proved itself."

Related articles:
  • Three dead, dozens hurt in Jerusalem terror attack
  • Baby's mother killed by Jerusalem terrorist who was shot, but kept going
  • Eight die in terror attack on Jerusalem yeshiva
  • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Prisoner exchange
    Israel signs swap deal, begins exhuming bodies of Hezbollah guerillas.
    Provocative questions
    Gaydamak tells TAU student to 'shut up and go to hell' over Angola question.
      1.   Mystery solved,the Mukhtar is married to Eldar`s granddaughter 14:21  |  Absolute Sweden 07/07/08
      2.   Neutralize? No neutralized goes on killing!!! 14:31  |  Alain 07/07/08
      3.   The female police officer IS the hero 15:38  |  Arie 07/07/08
      4.   Don`t bulldoze the house 16:00  |  Richard S 07/07/08
      5.   Yigal Amir`s house? 16:02  |  Citizen 07/07/08
      6.   emotions are high.. aweful incident for all 16:05  |  bashar 07/07/08
      7.   NEED TO START TRAINING THE POLICE AS IDF;MANY MORE DEATHS AHEAD 16:14  |  glenna 07/07/08
      8.   To Mr Kol Tuv 16:14  |  DM 07/07/08
      9.   Maan News say`s he belonged to a terrorist group 16:16  |  * BEN JABO 07/07/08
      10.   "Confiscate the Buldozer" To teach it a lesson? THIS NOT TERROR 16:29  |  b`Galil 07/07/08
      11.   Confirm Kill in Suicide Attacks 17:08  |  B (The other one) 07/07/08
      12.   female Police officer should show Olmert how it is done. 17:21  |  Robert/Montreal 07/07/08
      13.   Demolish homes of any Kenesset members suspected of corruption 17:35  |  Vernon Marriott 07/07/08
      14.   Idiots and heroes... 18:25  |  Ofer Maimon 07/07/08
      15.   Only in Israel ... 18:29  |  DesMnsDave 07/07/08
      16.   The real Hero 20:54  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 07/07/08
      17.   The only proper thing to do now is 21:27  |  ottomatik 07/07/08
      18.   #4-b`Galil-Mistakes in your comments 22:00  |  Arie 07/07/08
      19.   Of course ideological - SECOND TRY, HAARETZ 22:05  |  MR 07/07/08
      20.   Levy`s comments explain why police are afraid to kill terrorists 22:25  |  concerned citizen 07/07/08
      21.   Kudos up for grabs 22:26  |  observer 07/07/08
      22.   Are not all forms of killings mental defects? 00:54  |  Shimon 08/07/08
      23.   #10 B`galil 05:06  |  * BEN JABO 08/07/08
     Read & React
    Barak outlaws 36 NGOs for Hamas fundraising
    Responses: 160
    Akiva Eldar: Terrorist reflected mood of thousands in J'lem
    Responses: 80
    Yehuda Ben Meir: For a united J'lem, spare the terrorist's home
    Responses: 46
    Israel to exhume bodies of Hezbollah men ahead of swap
    Responses: 33
    Rosner's Domain
    Take military option off the table! (WTR)
    New Poll: What should Obama do about Iraq?
    On Israel-Diaspora relations, Israelis are quite clueless
    How good/bad is Obama's faith based initiative (WTR)
    Back to Vietnam


    More Headlines
    03:41 Israel signs swap deal, begins exhuming bodies of Hezbollah guerillas
    00:44 ANALYSIS / Ron Arad info crucial in advancing Hezbollah deal
    01:22 Assad: Direct talks with Israel only after Bush leaves office
    04:03 U.S. analyst: Mullen made clear Israel has no 'green light' to attack Iran
    05:02 Israeli Olympic swimmer suspected of taking performance-enhancing drugs
    03:33 Iran urges UN to help free kidnapped diplomats
    02:51 Nazi hunters arrive in Chile seeking Mauthausen 'Dr. Death'
    02:53 Kinneret hits red line, endangering water quality
    02:09 Accidents on Ayalon Freeway plummet after billboards removed
    02:37 Russian-born U.S. billionaire offers to buy Ma'ariv
    19:18 Ahmadinejad: Israel and U.S. won't dare attack Iran
    18:13 Just 10 of 66,000 Holocaust survivors' heirs get assets back
    22:26 Italy to expel Palestinian who took part in Achille Lauro cruise hijacking
    23:24 Israel to close Gaza crossings Tuesday in wake of mortar fire
    Previous Editions
    Special Offers
    Advertisement
    Dan Hotels Israel
    Live the Legend & experience an Unforgettable Summer Vacation
    Yossi Avrahami Presents:
    New Luxurious Projects in North Tel Aviv & Eilat
    Jerusalem of Gold
    Luxury apartments in Jerusalem's finest location
    Holyland Park
    Jerusalem Apartment Tower World Class Luxury
    In the heart of Tel-Aviv
    The Meier on Rothschild tower
    Your vacation starts here
    Israel Travel Center Guaranteed Lowest Rates
    Hebrew Summer courses
    From $39.95
    Pardes Institute Summer Sessions
    http://www.pardes.org.il/
    Fattal Hotel Chain
    Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel.
    ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel
    Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th
    Eldan Rent a Car
    Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations
    Junkyard
    Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
    Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |
    Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel
    birthright Israel | Search engine marketing
    Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
    © Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved