On Thursday night two homes in the Palestinian village of Duma were set alight in an apparent terror attack by religious Jewish extremists. An 18-month old Palestinian infant, Ali Saad Dawabsha, was burned to death and several others severely injured, including his 4-year-old brother. They have been transferred to a hospital in central Israel. The perpetrators have yet to be identified although 4 men were seen fleeing the scene.
The Hebrew words “Revenge” and “Long live the kind messiah” were spray-painted on their walls.
In the immediate aftermath of the appalling terror attack, CFI issued the following press release:
“CFI Parliamentary Chairman Rt. Hon. Sir Eric Pickles MP, CFI’s Parliamentary Officers and CFI Director Stuart Polak CBE are shocked and saddened by the despicable act that has been carried out today. We hope the perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to justice immediately. Our thoughts are with the family of the baby”.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly condemned the arson attack on a Palestinian family. In a statement the PM said: “I am shocked by this horrific, heinous act. This is a terror attack in every respect. The State of Israel deals forcefully with terror, regardless of who the perpetrators are”.
The PM said he has instructed the security forces to “use all the resources at their disposal to capture the killers and bring them to justice as soon as possible”.
The PM’s remarks were echoed by Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon and the IDF, who called it a “serious terror attack”, and by politicians from across the political spectrum.
Jewish Home party leader Naftali Bennett said: “Terror is terror is terror. The torching of the house in Duma and the murder of the baby is a shocking terror attack that is unfathomable”.
Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid said: “We’re at war. He who burns a Palestinian baby declares war on the State of Israel”.
