http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Eritrean-killed-because-gun-toting-government-officials-turned-Israel-into-Wild-West-427411
POLITICS AND DIPLOMACY
By LAHAV HARKOV \
10/19/2015 17:28
'Eritrean killed because gun-toting government officials turned Israel
into Wild West'
Terrorist kills soldier, wounds several others in attack at Beersheba
bus station
Police searching for civilians seen beating Eritrean man mistaken for terrorist
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urges citizens not to take the law
into their own hands.
Politicians from across the political spectrum condemned on Monday the
lynch of an Eritrean migrant by a mob in Beersheba who thought he was
a terrorist.
Netanyahu sent his condolences to Habtom Zerhom's family, along with
that of 19-year-old soldier Omri Levi, who was murdered by a Beduin
terrorist.
"We are a country of rule of law," Netanyahu said at a Likud faction
meeting. "People should not take the law into their own hands."
Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman said Zerhom's death is the
government's fault, also calling on people not to take the law into
their own hands.
"What happened was wrong. It was because of the anarchy; people are
afraid," Liberman said at his faction's meeting.
Yesh Atid faction chairman Ofer Shelah said that he is ashamed of the
Israelis who attacked Zerhom.
"It should be clear. The security guard shot him as part of his
responsibility to defend civilians, and should not be condemned for
misidentifying [Zerhom's]. However, because the rioters thought he was
a terrorist, we must remember the moral principle that every IDF
soldier is taught: After the enemy is neutralized and is no longer a
danger, he should not be harmed," Shelah said.
"If we do not maintain our moral advantage and humanity, the
terrorists win," he added.
Meretz chairwoman Zehava Gal-On called on Netanyahu to bring calm and
blamed the attack on politicians calling on civilians to carry guns.
"The finger must not only be pointed at those who lost their humanity
yesterday in the bus station. The lynchers did not act in a vacuum,"
she said. "When the Defense Minister calls on civilians to carry
weapons, when the Education Minister is photographed like a cowboy
with a gun on his belt...it is hard to be surprised when reality turns
into the Wild West."
MK Nachman Shai (Zionist Union) wrote a letter to Attorney-General
Yehuda Weinstein, asking that he order an immediate investigation of
the attack, pointing out that the attackers were caught on security
cameras.
"I understand the public's great anger and pain, but it is unthinkable
that one would harm a helpless person lying on the ground. Such
behavior is immoral and inhumane and not Jewish," he stated.
The Joint List "condemned the cruel lynch of the Eritrean
asylum-seeker, a result of an atmosphere of incitement and fear."
Zerhom was beaten not long after a terrorist armed with a pistol and a
knife stormed the Beersheba central bus station on Sunday night,
killing IDF soldier Sergeant Omri Levy, then snatching his rifle and
shooting and wounding at least 10 Israelis before being shot dead by
police.
During the attack, armed security personnel mistook Zerhom for a
second terrorist and one guard opened fire, wounding him. Not long
after Zarhum was surrounded by police, security officers, and a number
of civilians. In videos posted online afterwards, civilians can be
seen yelling at him and cursing at him, and some also beating him,
while a couple civilians try in vain to keep back the crowd.
Ben Hartman contributed to this report.
Received on Mon Oct 19 2015 - 10:47:11 EDT