Erdan Orders Withholding Terrorist Bodies

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan claimed he was vindicated Tuesday for his policy of delaying the return of terrorists’ bodies for burial due to concern that their funerals will be used for incitement to further violence.

That, he said, is exactly what happened overnight Monday as the funeral of Alaa Abu Mukaber, the murderer of Rabbi Yeshayahu Krishevsky, Hy”d, was exploited as a vehicle for hatred and incitement in east Yerushalayim.

An estimated 200 local residents crowded outside the cemetery, calling out, “Alla-hu Akbar” and, “In blood and spirit we will avenge you, martyr.”

In response, Erdan instructed the police Tuesday to suspend the return of terrorists’ bodies to their families for burial. Promises to abide by conditions designed to prevent incitement were broken by the families, he said.

“I was just shown the outrageous images from the funeral last night, in which the conditions set by the police were violated and the commitments made by the families were broken,” Erdan said. “The terrorists’ families lied to the High Court of Justice. It’s a shame the High Court believed them and pressured the police to return all the bodies by Ramadan.”

Police, however, disputed this, saying the family met the conditions that were set to minimize the crowd and incitement, as only 40 people were allowed into the cemetery for the funeral. The chanting was done outside while the body was being taken from the nearby mosque to the cemetery, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Erdan rejected the police interpretation of the event. “In the final analysis, there was a rally of incitement and support for terror. There’s no doubt that the crowd that showed up at the funeral was invited or knew of it through the family and organizers. That’s a violation.”

“For our purposes, there’s no difference if the audience is standing inside the cemetery fence or outside it,” Erdan said.

Abu Jamal brutally murdered Rabbi Yeshayahu Krishevsky, Hy”d, 60, in a vehicular and stabbing attack on Malchei Yisrael Street in Yerushalayim last October. The Bezeq phone company employee ran over pedestrians waiting at a bus stop before exiting the car and striking his wounded victims with an ax until he was shot dead by a security guard.

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Amit Shabi/POOL

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan.