Israeli president visits families of Druze slain in Temple Mount terror

President Reuven Rivlin visited the families of murdered Israeli Druze officers to offer comfort and support.

On Tuesday, President Reuven Rivlin extended condolences to the families of Israeli Druze police officers, First Sargent Hail Stawi and First Sargent Kamil Shanan, in the northern towns Maghar and Hurfeish. The police officers were killed on Friday in a terror attack on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City.

“The bond between us and our Druze brothers is a covenant of life, of equality, of shared lives, and of a shared struggle for this land,” the Israeli president said.

The father of Kamil, former Member of Knesset Shachiv Shanan, expressed his appreciation for the long line of security commanders who offered their condolences. “May they always have the upper hand, for their success is the true defense of our lives,” he prayed.

Kamil’s father also articulated his appreciation for Israel and the Jewish people. “The criminal murderers who murdered my son, will not slay our shared existence with the Israeli people,” he declared. “I have discovered the Jewish people, who I already loved, and now I truly love. I want to thank this wonderful people who live in this land.”

The slain Druze officer’s father was clearly moved by President Rivlin’s visit.

“Mr. President, in coming today, you have taken half of my pain, and the people took the other half. When you come here, my sacrifice is not in vain.”

He also expressed pride in being an Israeli citizen, “This is the best country in which to be Jewish, but it is also the best place to be Druze, and we are proud to be citizens of this country.”

President Rivlin conveyed Israel’s sorrow and appreciation of the murdered Druze officer, commenting, “We came here to comfort you, in order to show gratitude for a hero, a defender of the walls of Jerusalem, a defender of the State of Israel, in the face of evil and extremism. We hope and pray that the bond that exists between the Druze and the State of Israel will be a bond of life, not a bond of blood.”

By: Daniel Krygier, World Israel News

Druze officersHail StawiKamil ShananReuven RivlinShachiv Shanan