David Bar Kapparah, Hy”d

Israeli security forces were investigating the murder Wednesday night of farmer David Bar Kapparah, Hy”d, apparently at the hands of Palestinians illegally in Israel, but as of Thursday had not determined the motivation for the attack.

Bar Kapparah, 70, was found mortally wounded in an agricultural field between Pedaya and Carmei Yosef in central Israel and was taken by Magen David Adom paramedics to the Assaf Harofeh Hospital in Tzrifin, where he passed away some time later.

The Shin Bet arrested several individuals for questioning, but say they have not yet found the murderers. Bar Kapparah’s son Daniel, ybl”c, who serves as spokesman for the Religious Services Ministry, called on police to expedite the investigation. He said on Thursday that the family suspects the motive of the murder was nationalistic, but that they are unclear on the sequence of events.

Police have said they have not ruled out either a terrorist motive or a possible work dispute that turned violent.

The farmer was buried in Rehovot on Thursday afternoon. Hundreds of people participated in the levayah, led by the Rav of Rehovot, Harav Simcha Hakohen Kook, Religious Affairs Minister David Azoulay and other government officials.

Harav Kook noted in his hesped that “last Friday was a day of remembrance of the three hostages kidnapped by terrorists,” referring to teenagers Eyal Yifrah, Gilad Sha’ar, and Naftali Frankel, Hy”d. “How long will these murderers shed the blood of Israel?”

“May G-d avenge the blood of His Nation,” he declared.

“In the heart of the country you loved so much, gentiles came and spilled your blood,” Azoulay stated. “The deceased was murdered in cold blood because he was Jewish,” he added. “He was brutally murdered, in the name of the hatred of Jews.

“It doesn’t matter if this anti-Semitism is old or new,” he continued. “Israel’s leaders must take strong measures to restore security to Israeli citizens. There can’t be a situation 70 years later where Jews are afraid to walk in their own country. We cannot ignore or behave in a forgiving attitude toward blatant anti-Semitism.”

This article appeared in print on page 1 of the June 26th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.