Jerusalem – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the hospital bedside of the four-year-old Palestinian boy who suffered serious burns as a result of an arson by suspected Jewish extremists in the West Bank village of Duma before dawn on Friday.
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In a statement released following the visit to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, the premier vowed that Israeli authorities would apprehend the perpetrators of the attack, which killed 18-month-old Ali Dawabsha, and left his parents and older brother with severe burn wounds.
“I just came from the bedside of four-year old Ahmed Sa’ed [Dawabsha],” Netanyahu said in a statement. “Sixty percent of his body is burned. We’re doing everything we can to save this young boy, give him a life.”
Netanyahu said that the boy’s parents, who were also seriously injured, are being given “the best treatment to save their lives.”
“When you stand next to the bed of this small child, and his infant brother had been so brutally murdered, we’re shocked, we’re outraged,” . We condemn this. There is zero tolerance for terrorism wherever it comes from, whatever side of the fence it comes from, we have to fight it and fight it together.”
The prime minister said that he spoke to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas by phone on Friday.
“I told him of this visit and of Israel’s absolute commitment to find the perpetrators and to bring them to justice,” Netanyahu said. “We have to calm the winds and recommit ourselves to our joint battle against terrorism and extremism. It’s something that all parts of the Israeli government and all parts of Israeli society agree on. It’s important that we make a common cause with our Palestinian neighbors to give ourselves a better future – a future free of violence, free of terror, a future of peace.”
Later on Friday, President Reuven Rivlin also paid a visit to Ahmed Dawabsha’s bedside.
“We awoke this morning to a day of sorrow,” Rivlin told reporters at Tel Hashomer. “I feel a sense of shame, and, moreover, a sense of pain. Pain over seeing a child, whose brother was burned, and whose parents are fighting for their lives. It is difficult to see that there are those within my people capable of such acts.”
“The shame is great, though the pain is greater,” the president said. “It must be understood by both sides that terror cannot be allowed in our region. It is not enough simply to talk about the need to fight terror – we need to fight terror. What we demand of our neighbors, from those with whom we fight, from those who have been our enemies for over a century – to bring an end to terrorism – we must also demand of ourselves.”
If the picture at the top of this article does not break your heart, then you have little humanity in you. When will the killing stop? How many babies have to die just for some real estate???
I am curious did Bibi visit the 67 JEWISH soldiers families sitting shiva for their sons dying in Gaza, 67 JEWS who died due to HIS policies?
“But we cant ignore the “root cause” that brought. It’s because they are “desperate”, the world is boycotting them”. Are we going to hear that from the left?
Is this what being a zealot for jews is all about? We need lots of clear direction from our big gedolim to correct this
If the Palestinians had a leader that visited the bedside of Israeli terror victims and strongly condemned Arab terror attacks either we’d have a real peace partner or he’d have been assassinated by now.
Harming of innocent people should be condemned and the guilty will and should be subject to swift justice!
However please take notice and note:
Where are the dancing and celebrating crowds of Jews where are the Jews cheering and handing out candies to strangers in the street?
We condem senseless acts of violence and terrorism the Arabs celebrate it!
As I have been saying for the past few years, the only difference between us and them is sheer numbers. A certain percentage of any religious group is going to become extremist. The 1.7 billion Muslims are vast in numbers and in a greater position of power. If we had the same numbers and the same global power, the zealots among us would be just as many and just as bad. And here now, is the sad truth in action. And you won’t see an outcry from charedim. You won’t see anyone shed a tear. You’ll see hardly a comment about it on this site.
Wow from the comments
It looks like some arabs are commenting on this site
Most Jews are disgusted and ashamed by this wanton violence. When our people kill, we hang our heads in shame. The Arabs parade their killers and give them medals.
You can’t control crazies, there will always be those. What the society does with their crazies is what defines the society, not that they have them.
And that, my friends, is the difference between us and them.