IDF Chief of Staff Eisenkot
Photo: Avihu Shapira
IDF chief: Return of terrorist's body was 'an error'
Taking responsibility for the erroneous return of the body of a Palestinian terrorist against the Security Cabinet protocol, Lt.-Gen. Eisenkot says the incident will be investigated and 'lessons will be learned.'
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot told Security Cabinet ministers that the return the body of Nimer Jamal, who murdered three Israelis in Har Adar in September of 2017, at the end of last week was "an error" and took responsibility for it.
Eisenkot said that the body was returned by mistake, adding that "lessons will be learned from the investigation conducted on the subject."
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eisenkot (Photo: Motti Kimchi)
The Israeli government decided to return to the Palestinian Authority Friday the bodies of two terrorists, one of whom was Jamal. The return was criticized for being done under the radar in "a hush hush manner."
Avi and Michal Arish, the parents of Or Arish who was murdered in the terrorist attack perpetrated by Jamal, said they were shocked by the release of his body and by the scenes of the huge funeral held in his honor.
The Arish family sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu through the Honenu organization, demanding that a committee be set up to examine the misstep.
"How do they return a body while there are still families waiting for the bodies of their children?" said Avi Arish, Or's father, in reference to the bodies of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, who was killed in Operation Protective Edge and whose remains have been held by Hamas ever since.
"I do not understand who made the decision to transfer the body of the terrorist," he added. "All done quietly, without informing the families. They transferred the body on Friday before Shabbat, and we see this (funeral) procession and are shocked."
"If the defense minister would have lost his son and they would have transferred the body. Would they still say, 'There was an error?'" the father asked angrily. "I cannot believe we are being treated like that. We are bleeding with sorrow and suddenly his body is returned? I cannot figure out how such a thing can occur."
Jamal's victims, for L to R: Or Arish, Staff Sergeant Solomon Gavriya, and Youssef Ottman
On January 2017, the Political-Security Cabinet decided Israel will hold onto the bodies of terrorists who "carried out an exceedingly grave attack" as well as "bodies of terrorists affiliated with Hamas."
Following the return of the bodies, the family of Hadar Goldin submitted an urgent appeal to the High Court of Justice Sunday seeking an interim injunction and decree nisi temporarily blocking the government's decision to return the bodies of terrorists who carried out attacks against Israelis to their families for burial.
The HCJ is currently discussing a petition against the Cabinet's January 2017 decision.
