This morning, (Thursday) there was a suspicion of an attack at the Gush Etzion Junction when soldiers at the scene saw a suspect getting off a bus. They tried to arrest him but when he did not respond, they shot him in the lower body and he later succumbed of his wounds.
It has now been clarified that the man was a convert to Judaism residing in Hebron who was unable to get through the bureaucracy involved in the conversion process.
The IDF spokesman was quick to respond to the case: "A short time ago during an operational activity, an IDF force fired at a Palestinian who aroused their suspicion at the Elazar Junction. The suspect was wounded and later pronounced dead. Immediately upon receiving the report about the serious incident, the military prosecutor's office opened an investigation by the military police."
The 1929 riots in Hebron
His story began 95 years ago, with the 1929 riots in Hebron. The events then took place exactly as they did on October 7 of this year. But unlike of Gaza, in Hebron there were dozens of Arabs who acted bravely and saved their Jewish neighbors.
Among them was an Arab named Eid al-Zeitoun; According to evidence from that day's events, he hid about 25 Jews in his home, among them the Castel and Manny families. 80 years later, Abu Eid's grandson, Sameh Zeitoun, decided to convert to Judaism. He attempted to undergo an accepted conversion procedure, but the Israeli conversion authorities were not prepared to accept an Israeli Arab.
He tried again and again, to no avail. In the end, he was able to be accepted into a conversion program at Rabbi Karlitz's conversion court in Bnei Brak. After a long and thorough procedure, he received permission to convert, underwent a lengthy procedure and was given the Jewish name - David ben Avraham.
Hamas terrorists abused him
He continued his Jewish studies at the Jerusalem yeshiva of Machon Meir, and studied with rabbis in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh. He expected to be accepted as a citizen in the State of Israel, but Israeli authorities continued rejecting him. In the meantime, terrorists from the Palestinian Authority and Hamas abused, imprisoned, tortured, and harassed him, not leaving him a moment's rest.
He repeatedly appealed to all the Israeli authorities, but they remained blind to his suffering. Not only was he not able to get an Israeli citizenship (to which every Jew, as well as anyone who has undergone conversion of any kind, and non-Jews with a Jewish father or grandfather from all over the world are entitled to) but he also did not receive a permanent entry permit and the right to work in Israel. He could therefore not make a living for himself.
On the other hand, the Arabs around him also harassed him and his family, and did not allow them to live with dignity. Jewish friends in Hebron, Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh and other places tried to support him financially, and allow him to get his life under control, but to no avail.
The knife he carried was used for self-defense
The man was stuck between two worlds: the Muslims who abused him, and the State of Israel that turned its back on him with. This morning he was on his way to Jerusalem (people his age are entitled to enter Jerusalem but not to work or stay there).
At the bus stop at the Elazar junction, IDF soldiers shot and wounded him after they hailed him to stop but he failed to answer. A small knife was found in the bag (which he always carried for self-defense but never used). After a short time, he died of his wounds.
