Salomon family invites public to grandson’s circumcision
The lethal attack in Halamish occurred just as they were about to celebrate the birth of their grandson.
By TOVAH LAZAROFFUpdated: JULY 27, 2017 11:30The three victims of the lethal attack in Halamish. (photo credit: COURTESY OF THE FAMILY AND THE MUNICIPALITY OF ELAD)
The Salomon family has invited the Israeli public to the circumcision of their grandson just one week after losing three people in a terror attack.On Friday night, Yosef Salomon, 70, his daughter Chaya, 46 and his son, Elad were killed when a Palestinian terrorist entered their home in the Halamish settlement just as they were about to celebrate the birth of their grandson one day earlier. Yosef’s wife Tovah was injured in that attack and Elad’s wife Michal was able to escape from the room and hide upstairs with her five children.An off duty soldier in the home across the way heard the family’s screams and was able to shoot the terrorist through the window, wounding him and halting the attack.On Wednesday President Reuven Rivlin, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and US envoy Jason Greenblatt and US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman paid a condolence call to the family as they sat shiva in the city of Elad.Three Israelis were killed in a stabbing attack in Halamish, July 21, 2017 (Reuters)Tova told Rivlin that she had been the soldier’s kindergarten teacher. “I raised him. He was in my kindergarten and now he saved me.”Michal also told Rivlin how grateful she was to the soldier. “We heard all kinds of voices from outside asking questions about why he only neutralized and did not kill him,” she said.Rivlin responded; “Anyone who asks this, should first ask themselves if they could do what he did.”Michal told Rivlin: “The soldier was in the right place at the right time. Simply put, he stopped this massacre.”She also told Rivlin that her husband had fought the terrorist to prevent him from going after her and the children. Michal said that she owed her life to the soldier and her husband. “It is truly important to me to say that. There are no words to express my appreciation to [the soldier’s family] I owe them my life. And it's important to me that it is understood: this man is a hero.”Rivlin told Michal: “The entire people of Israel are with me in this house today, astounded by your strength, and the family strength you displayed,” Rivlin said.
After his visit to the family Greenblatt tweeted, “With a heavy heart I visited the Salomons. Three brutally murdered at their Shabbat table in terror attack. May their memories be a blessing.”Among those who were with Greenblatt and Friedman was Efrat Council head Oded Revivi, who is also the chief foreign envoy of the YESHA council.He later said, "It should not be taken for granted that [US] President [Donald} Trump personally sent his Ambassador David Friedman and Special Envoy Jason Greenblatt to pay a shiva call to the Solomon family. America is our strongest ally and we must stand shoulder to shoulder in the war on terror. “Their official visit sent a clear message that there is no justification for murdering a grandfather as he celebrates the birth of his new grandson. “As Ambassador Friedman told the Salomons: ”I have come here on behalf of the President of the United States of America and her 300 millions citizens who simply can't understand this barbaric attack.”