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Terror victim, father of 6, laid to rest

Hundreds attend funeral of Rabbi Raziel Shevach, father of six young children, murdered in a drive-by shooting Tuesday.

By: Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

In a funeral attended by hundreds of mourners including former and current government ministers and chief rabbis, Rabbi Raziel Shevach, 35, was laid to rest Wednesday in Havat Gilad, the northern Samarian village he loved and in which he worked. He had been murdered Tuesday night on the road near the village in a drive-by shooting, whose perpetrators are currently the subject of a massive manhunt.

Shevach was remembered as a teacher of young adults and children who also saved “countless lives” as a Magen David Adom volunteer, “a true man of kindness, filled with boundless love,” said Samarian Regional Council head Yossi Dagan in his eulogy. “So much light and happiness flowed from you,” he said.

After scorning the killers as “despicable barbarians” who would never break the Jewish people, Dagan went on to beg the government to fight to win.

“I call on all members of the Israeli government: We have the best army in the world,” he declared. “We demand that the army bring upon the terrorists a day of revenge and payback. We want to bring back our national honor. Mr. Prime Minister, we insist you announce today recognition of Havat Gilad as a registered town. Mr. Defense Minister, we insist you approve 1,000 housing units on this land, here in Havat Gilad. That is what will end the motivation to carry out terror attacks. There is no price for six orphans.”

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Education Minister Naftali Bennet went even further when he called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convene his cabinet to recognize the entire area as Israeli sovereign territory, and to order that “not another shekel shall pass to murderers’ families, to reduce their personal motivation.”

The government is currently mulling its own version of the Taylor Force Act passed by the US Congress that would stop money flowing to the Palestinian Authority until it ceased paying jailed terrorists, and the families of eliminated terrorists, monthly salaries, which are computed on a graduated scale depending on how horrific their crimes were.

Rabbi Shevach was also a mohel, (ritual circumciser) and was studying to become a rabbinical arbiter. He leaves behind his wife Yael, four daughters and two sons, aged 10 months to 10 years old.