JERUSALEM—Rabbi Raziel Shevach, a resident of the Havat Gilad outpost in northern Samaria, was murdered in a drive-by shooting Tuesday. He was 35.
Shortly after 8pm, the Magen David Adom (MDA) radio received reports of a shooting attack, apparently from the victim, who had served as an MDA volunteer.
Paramedics from the town of Kedumim, a short drive from the scene of the attack, arrived on the scene and evacuated the victim to Meir Medical Centre in Kfar Saba, where his death was confirmed.
“I left Kedumim in an MDA ambulance, arriving quickly at the scene. I saw on the the side of the road, by the safety railing, a private vehicle with shooting markings on it,’ said MDA paramedic Elyashiv Reichenberg, the first to arrive on the scene. “There was a 35-year-old semi-conscious man in the driver seat with bullet wounds in his upper body.”
MK Bezalel Smotrich, a resident of Kedumim, was on Route 60 at the time of the shooting and stopped to administer first aid. He wrote on Twitter “Jewish Blood is not worthless!” and called on Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman to put an end to Palestinian terrorism. “Instruct our security forces to act with an iron fist! Make it clear to the Palestinians that they will pay a very heavy price for every attack like this.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “I express deep sorrow and send condolences to the family of Raziel Shevach, who was murdered tonight by a despicable terrorist. The security forces will do their utmost to apprehend the vile killer and the State of Israel will bring him to justice.”
Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel, the head of the National Union faction of the Jewish Home party, said Wednesday that the time has come for Israel to expel the families of Palestinians who murder Israelis and to alter the current reality in Judea and Samaria in which Palestinians who kill Israelis walk away from their attacks “clean.”
“The security establishment understands what needs to be done, how much needs to be done, why it needs to be done. We don’t need to debate the issue. We need to get out and implement the plans.
Opposition Leader Yitzhak Herzog (Zionist Camp) pledged to find and punish the killers and sent condolences to the family of the victim.
“To our great sorry, terrorism does not rest for even a minute. This time, the victim was a paramedic who mediated his life to helping others, no matter who they were. We will not rest from our fight; we will find and punish [the killers].
Shevach is survived by his wife and six children.
*With additional reporting by Andrew Friedman, Hillel Maeir and Koby Richter