Communal leaders react to massacre of family in Itamar

After a relative lull in fighting between Israel and Palestinian militant factions, the terror of the previous Intifadas revealed itself in complete disregard for humanity.

On March 11, terrorists broke into the home of Rabbi Ehud Fogel, 36, and murdered him, his wife Ruth, and their children Yoav, 11; Eldad, 4; and Hadas, who was three months old. The father and his newborn had their throats slashed in their sleep. Yoav was murdered on a couch while reading a book, while his mother was killed in an apparent confrontation with the infiltrators.

Two additional children, Roi, 8; and Yishai, 2, were in a separate room and undiscovered by the infiltrators. Their oldest child, Tamar, 12, was not home at the time of the break-in, entering upon the murder scene two hours after it occurred.

“The images were absolutely horrific, a slaughter of innocent children in their home,” said ZAKA regional commander Gil Bismot, whose organization handled the removal of the bodies from the home.

Immediately after the incident, Israeli leaders spoke out on its apparent inhumanity, linking it with the systematic demonization of Israel in the Palestinian press and schools. "A society that allows wild incitement like this, leads to the murder of children," Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu's Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas issued his own statement condemning the attack. “This act was abominable, inhuman and immoral,” Abbas said in an interview with Israel Radio. “Any person who has a sense of humanity would be pained and driven to tears by such sights.”

Israeli officials blasted Abbas’ words, in light of the renaming of a public square in the Palestinian town of Al Bireh on the day following the attack.

Sponsored by Abbas’ Fatah faction, the plaza was renamed after Dalal Mughrabi, was involved in killing 37 Israelis in a 1978 bus hijacking on Israel's coastal road. Mughrabi is viewed by many Palestinians as a hero and already has a soccer tournament and summer camp bearing her name. Mughrabi’s attack killed 13 children.