By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
Jun 28, 2004
An angered and distraught father Monday lamented the senseless death of his child as a result of the lack of security provided for Israel’s Jews by the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Standing by the grave of his murdered four-year-old son Monday evening, Yitzhak Ohayon whispered through his tears, “I love you, my dear boy. I will see you everywhere.”
Afik Zahavi’s young life was mercilessly cut short earlier in the day when a Kassam rocket fired by “Palestinian” terrorists slammed into the sidewalk outside his kindergarten in the Negev town of Sderot. A 49-year-old grandfather was also killed.
Zahavi’s mother was unable to attend the funeral as she fought for her own life at Beersheva’s Soroka Medical Center.
Distraught father
Just hours after his son’s murder at the hands of Palestinian Arab rocket crews Monday, Ohayon spoke to reporters about the death of his beloved child.
"We were supposed to go to his end-of-year party in kindergarten tomorrow... and now instead we'll be going to his funeral,” he said.
“I waited 15 years for this child… I cannot grasp this disaster,” Ma’ariv quoted him as saying.
Angered by the lack of security for Israel’s Jews, Ohayon laid the blame for his son’s untimely demise at the doorstep of the Sharon government.
"The prime minister has a bodyguard. The president has a bodyguard. But who guards our children? They are our future, but who's watching over them? No one. That's my message to the prime minister," cried the distraught father.
Ohayon said he didn’t want to go into the whole issue of Sharon’s Gaza retreat plan, “but I just want to tell our government to take action.”
Emotional graveside
Standing over his child’s fresh grave Monday evening, an overwhelmed Ohayon whispered through his tears, “I love you, my dear boy. I will see you everywhere.”
Though the funeral had ended, Ohayon refused to leave Afik’s graveside.
The child’s mother was unable to attend the funeral as she battled for her own life at Beersheva’s Soroka Medical Center.
Muslim barbarism
Taking credit for the murder, the Islamic Hamas terrorist organization issued a statement Monday saying that “with the help of Allah, two Zionists were killed and a number of Zionist settlers were injured.”