Rabbi Michael Mark, the principal of a yeshivah in Otniel, Israel, was killed—and his wife and two of their children injured—in a drive-by terrorist attack just south of Hebron.
According to initial reports, the family’s car was overtaken by terrorists in another vehicle who shot the man and his wife, causing their car to overturn. Chana Mark was seriously injured in the attack and was evacuated to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital with multiple gunshot wounds to her upper body. Two of their 10 children were also wounded, one moderately and the other lightly.
A search for the terrorists is underway.
The attack came only hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the nearby town of Kiryat Arba to console the family of 13-year-old Hallel Yaffa Ariel, who was murdered by a 17-year-old Palestinian terrorist who jumped a security fence surrounding the town, broke into her home and stabbed her repeatedly while she was asleep in her bedroom.
“To see Hallel’s room, to see the blood stains next to her bed and the books and clothes of a small child, this is shocking,” said Netanyahu. “It reminds us again who we are facing. They want to uproot what has been planted, but we will deepen our roots. They will not make us leave here.
“I was deeply impressed by this remarkable family,” he continued. “Their spirit will not break, and neither will ours. We will deepen our roots.”
well rooted In learning about this tragedy as well as the little girl, how much can our hearts take at times. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comment “It reminds us again who we are facing. They want to uproot what has been planted, but we will deepen our roots. They will not make us leave here.
King David basically said similar-"A righteous man is like a date palm, well flourish, like a cedar in Lebanon, he will grow tall, planted in the house of Hashem.... So , we the House of Israel is that palm tree , planted and well grounded, well rooted. For those arrogant who think they can cut down what is well rooted, Hashem judgement will fall great on them. Also, Tu Bi Shuat, We are the tree, the fruit and Hashem rains down on His fruit, that is His people. From there we are compared to Torah, and its handles, we keep holding on to those handles, its why they are called the Tree of Life.
They cannot uproot us, never, it is our birth right, Amen
May Hashem be with this family.Stand strong.