MK Limor Son Har Melech reveals: "No one bothered to tell me that the terrorist who killed my husband was released"

Earlier this morning, Israeli Member of Knesset (MK) Limor Son Har Melech of the Otzma Yehudit party opened up to families of hostages about a deeply personal wound reopened by recent events. She disclosed that the terrorist responsible for murdering her husband in a 2003 attack has been released, and that she hadn't been informed it was going to happen.

"This morning, I woke up to the news that the terrorist who murdered my husband was released. No one likes this. I listen and understand and am in pain in a way that I cannot describe to you," she told the families.

A Life Altered by Terror

Born in Jerusalem in 1979, Har-Melech married Shuli in 2001 and moved with him to Homesh, an Israeli outpost in the West Bank.

Har-Melech’s story traces back to August 2003, during the Second Intifada. She and her husband were driving near Ramallah in Judea and Samaria when their car was ambushed by five gunmen wielding automatic weapons. The vehicle rolled over under the hail of bullets. Shuli, a medic and ambulance driver, was killed instantly. Limor, then seven months pregnant, sustained critical injuries and gave birth to their daughter via emergency cesarean section hours later. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, a militant group tied to the Palestinian political party Fatah, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The couple had a son together before the devastating attack upended their lives. In 2005, further hardship followed when Har-Melech and her family were evicted from Homesh as part of Israel’s disengagement from Gaza and parts of Judea and Samaria, which led to the settlement’s demolition.

Har-Melech later married Yehuda and together they had eight additional children. After the birth of their seventh child, the family moved from their temporary housing into a permanent home in the Shavei Shomron settlement.

Seeking Justice Through the Courts

In a significant legal move reported by Ynet, Har-Melech sued the Palestinian Authority (PA) for NIS 10 million on behalf of her children and NIS 5 million for herself. The lawsuit, enabled by a new Israeli law compensating terror victims, accuses the PA of initiating and incentivizing deadly terrorist acts against Israelis, including the one that took her husband’s life. The financial claims reflect the enduring physical and emotional toll of the 2003 attack on Har-Melech and her family.

A Broader Struggle

Har-Melech’s personal tragedy and legal battle resonate within the larger context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The 2005 disengagement, intended to ease tensions, displaced families like hers and remains a point of contention. Her current role as an MK with Otzma Yehudit, a far-right party known for its hardline stance on security, underscores her commitment to addressing the fallout of terrorism—both personally and politically.

A Voice for Victims

Son Har-Melech continues to navigate her dual roles as a grieving widow and a public figure.