Bennett a 'murderer,' 'dog, 'clown' - killed Border Policeman's mother

In his interviews given to Israeli media, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett insisted Barel Shmueli "was not murdered but fell while on duty."

 PRIME MINISTER Naftali Bennett leads a cabinet meeting this week. If things go according to plan, he has all of 5782 ahead of him as Israel’s leader. (photo credit: SEBASTIAN SCHEINER/POOL VIA REUTERS)
PRIME MINISTER Naftali Bennett leads a cabinet meeting this week. If things go according to plan, he has all of 5782 ahead of him as Israel’s leader.
(photo credit: SEBASTIAN SCHEINER/POOL VIA REUTERS)

The mother of killed Border Police officer Barel Haderia Shmeuli called Prime Minister Naftali Bennett a "murderer with blood on his hands" in a Facebook post, in response to Bennett's interview given on Tuesday night.

 21-year-old St.-Sgt. Bar-el Shmueli from Beer Yaakov, shot by a Palestinian militant during Gaza border riots (credit: BORDER POLICE)
21-year-old St.-Sgt. Bar-el Shmueli from Beer Yaakov, shot by a Palestinian militant during Gaza border riots (credit: BORDER POLICE)

In his several interviews given to Israeli media, Bennett insisted Shmueli "was not murdered but fell in battle while on duty."

Bennett's comments were in response to Barel's mother Nitza Shmueli claiming her son "wasn't killed during operational activity but was murdered," after IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi visited the Shmueli family home in Beer Yaakov earlier in September.

"Shame on you," Barel's mother Nitza Shmueli wrote on Facebook, calling him a "dog.

"You dare to say that my son wasn't murdered - you yourself are a murderer with blood on your hands.

"I promise you, Bennett, we will meet," she added.

Shmueli later deleted the Facebook post where she called Bennett a "murderer" but went on to write another post, this time calling him a "clown" and claiming he was given the title of prime minister by a Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas.

"Bennett you clown, do you even know what a battle is?" Barel's mother wrote. "The head of Hamas bribed you with a few votes, you are only prime minister because of Hamas," Shmueli falsely claimed.

"You lost the battle with Benjamin Netanyahu, you wuss," Shmueli said of Bennett.

"Barel fell during battle as a Border Police officer while protecting the border, it's as simple as that," said the prime minister in Tuesday night's interviews.


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On Wednesday, Nitza apologized in a Facebook post, writing: "My blood was boiling from pain and frustration and it resulted in me writing things in a very harsh way that could have been said differently.

"I do, however, stand by the sentiment of what I said, even as I understand that I should have used different words," she added. 

Bennett's comments came after he publicly apologized to the Shmueli family for confusing the names of Barel and his father, Yossi, while talking to his father on the phone when his son was being treated in hospital.

Bennett also praised the fallen Border Police officer, saying the Israeli public was exposed to a "Zionist warrior."