Two years have passed since one of the most horrific terrorist massacres ever: the barbaric and cold-blooded slaughter of five members of the Fogel family at Itamar, two parents – Ehud and Ruthie Fogel – and three young children – Yoav (11), Elad (4) and Hadas (three months). The murderers, two Arabs from the neighboring village of Awarta, had invaded their home on Sabbath eve.
After being captured, the young murderers said they had viewed the murder as "an adventure." They are not believed to have been directly sent on the bloody mission by any terror organization. Rather, they appear to have been motivated, like so many other Muslim Arab terrorists, by the incessant incitement to terror spewed forth by Palestinian Authority media, which is controlled by the Fatah terror organization.
Arutz Sheva spoke to Haim Fogel and Rabbi Yehuda Ben Yishai, the fathers of Ehud Fogel and Ruthie Fogel, respectively. Listening to their calm and thoughtful words, spoken as their emotions of grief are obviously being held back, one plainly sees the chasm between Jewish culture and Arab Islamic culture. Both fathers embody, in word and deed, the Jewish spirit of intelligent yet unshakable faith, patient perseverance and creativity, offering stark contrast to the wailing, cursing and threats that are often typical of Arab Muslim mourning, especially when Israel can be blamed for the deaths.
Israel's enemies should look at Arutz Sheva's interviews with Haim Fogel and Rabbi Yehuda Ben Yishai and understand why they have no chance in the world of defeating the Jewish nation. The video will drive home to them that whatever suffering the Arabs can dish out to the Jews with their savagery, the eternal Jewish nation will not be driven to despair. The Jews, who have outlived all the ancient nations that persecuted them, will continue building their national home and military prowess, and wait for the right moment to avenge the blood of their innocents.
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A year goes by. Of course, with all of the hardships and pain, the longings that every thing reminds us of, we try to hold back our pain, and to look forward. Because we believe and it is a fact, that we are here, at Mishkan Ehud, the place at which the yeshiva and community are developing, and this is a small consolation but a consolation nonetheless.
We are here in a day that connects sadness with growth. Seeing the yeshiva that is named for our son-in-law developing with time and being built, we feel that the souls continue to act from above. And what someone wanted to cut off, in fact, it turned into a planting of seeds. And from year to year, while it is true that the pain penetrates deeply into the soul, but on the other hand we see that these seeds are planted, and the nation of Israel gathers, and connects and unites, and this gives us the strength to continue, with G-d's help.
As a veteran in the settlement enterprise, I think that settlement is not about these sad events, settlement is about settlement! But we understand that this is also part of it. When something like this happens, at least what people can give, is to enable us to keep moving forward, and to build. So we take that, as well. The children feel good. The children... are covered in love, the Nation of Israel embraces them,
We give the close hug and the Nation provides the next circle, and their parents' prayers for them from above accompany them, so we are certain that they will grow up in joy and turn out to be great people, without a doubt.
What can you tell us bout the Sabbath you just spent here? The first Sabbath you all spent together in Itamar? It was a very uplifting Sabbath, since what happened, we feel Udi and Ruthie
even more than before. And we have turned into one family, here with the community, and we are certain that everyone wants to join this family now. Everyone is invited to come to Itamar,
to visit the yeshiva, and to be here with everything that the Fogel family represents.
A truly wonderful Sabbath. We were slightly worried before it, about how it would go, but... the Sabbath here was uplifting, as simple as that. All of the students, the singing... a true Sabbath,
although [Ehud's] students had visited us several times already, and we heard from them and saw them, being here the entire Sabbath is truly a very uplifting thing.
It is a great experience. An experience... you see view we saw when we woke up: the village from which the murderers came out, Awarta. And you see the homes where the [Fogels] lived.
You say to yourself -- here is the place of evil, and next to it is the place of the future and of developments. This is what strengthens us, you could say. Despite the evil, there is a future.
