Yizhak, Shimon, Yossi and Shula offer condolences

Hebron-Past, Present and Forever
by David Wilder
Yizhak, Shimon, Yossi and Shula offer condolences 

June 29, 1995

Dear Mrs. Kafisha,

The Israeli cabinet, meeting in special session, offers its deepest condolences on the tragic death of your son Tier this morning. He was undoubtedly another victim, a sacrifice of the peace process. It is too bad he couldn’t have held out a little longer. If the situation would so allow it, we would express our sorrow publicly. Presently that is not possible and for that I am truely sorry.

From all we were told, he was quite an amazing fellow. Extremely active and very thorough. Had he been Jewish we would have gladly accepted him in the army. I’m sure he would have made a fine officer, an example to all his fellow soldiers.

As you are surely aware, there are many Israeli’s who did not like your son. He allegedly participated in a number of "terrorist attacks" against civilians in the Hebron region of the West Bank, popularly called Yehuda, by the Jewish settlers. His missions resulted in the deaths of Mordechai and Shalom Lapid, Sarit Prigal, Yehuda Partush and Raphael Yairi from Kiryat Arba, Rabbi Ami Ulami from Otniel in the Southern Hebron Hills Region, Margolit Shochat from Ma’ale Levona, Ephraim Iubie from Kfar Darome, and Nachum Hoss from Hebron. Of course, many others were wounded. All in all, he is known to have partaken in over 14 offensives over the last year and a half. This is quite an impressive record, which will surely be remembered in the annuls of your people. Such courage usually has a tragic ending. Unfortunately it was almost inevitable.

You may be interested in knowing what happened. The intelligence forces, not all of whom fully understand our true goals, uncovered Tier’s whereabouts. Once he was discovered, we had no choice but to allow them to continue. We had hopes that his luck might hold out, that he might abscond into the night. Actually we weren’t far off the mark. Two of his companions escaped. But Tier, the warrior that he was, couldn’t give up without a battle. Actually he should have known better: shooting at civilian settlers is one thing; shooting at IDF forces is another; Having critically injured one of our fighting best, he signed his own death certificate. There was no way that they were then going to let him get away. He made his way through the vineyard, (which unfortunately we were forced to uproot following the incident), into a nearby house, and from there into another house. The IDF Commandos opened up on him, and shortly thereafter it was all over. You should be proud. He died a hero’s death.

Had Tier been just a little more careful, he would have been able to escape the long arm of the Israel Defense Forces. Very shortly we will begin retreating from cities in the conquered territories of the West Bank. Once we leave, we will never come back. According to the agreement to be signed with your fine leader, our soldiers will be forbidden to enter these cities, under any circumstances. Tier would have found safe refuge, probably within a matter of months, of perhaps ever weeks. Who knows - he might have even been able to follow in the footsteps of his accomplished predecessor. My friend and colleague Yassir started out the same way. Look where he is now.

However, I think you can take comfort in knowing that Tier was very successful. He helped us more than you will ever know. His activities were exactly what we needed in order to justify our "orderly withdrawal" from land belonging not to us, but to you. Limiting his actions to the other side of the "green line" was extremely wise - guerrilla action in the West Bank may be justified and understood, but such actions in Israel proper is harmful. Besides, a few less settlers, especially those of such an extreme ideology, religiously and politically, never hurts.

If you are in touch with any of Tier’s friends and companions, please ask them not to give up. Tell them that if they hold out just a little longer, they’ll be home free. It won’t be long now. And you can also mention that once the army pulls out, those stubborn settlers will remain there almost unprotected. And they really don’t have anything to worry about. We have no intentions of risking the lives of our precious soldiers for those settlers. After all, they’ll all vote against us in the next election. Who needs them.

But please, please, warn them, we beg of you, warn them not to take any actions in Netania or Kfar Saba, or in any of the other border cities. Any deaths there, as a result of guerrilla actions, will almost certainly lead to our downfall. I am only too well aware how enticing it will be, but they must learn to control themselves. We promise, and you can trust us a hundred percent - we haven’t let you down yet, have we? - if you stay on your side of the border, we will stay on ours.

Keep the faith.

Sincerely yours,

Yitzhak, Shimon, Yossi, Shula

and the entire Israeli Cabinet