Over NIS 250K Raised for Family of Man Killed Over Parking Space

Over NIS 250,000 ($70,000) has been raised so far in a campaign for the handicapped widow and three daughters of Ofir Hasdai, z”l, who was shot and killed in an apparent dispute over a parking space in a mall in Ramle on Sunday.

Hundreds are expected at the levayah for Hasdai, which is set to be held Monday. Police have arrested a 74-year-old man in the murder of  Hasdai and plan on keeping him in custody until the end of proceedings against him.

Hasdai, 40, was killed at a mall in Ramle, where he lives with his wife and children; both she and several of the children are disabled, and they were in the vehicle at the time of the incident. According to police, Hasdai found a disabled parking spot, but another individual had parked his vehicle over the line, taking two spaces. Hasdai asked the man to move his vehicle and he refused. Hasdai got out of the vehicle, and the culprit pulled out a gun and shot him twice in the stomach. He was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, and died there from his wounds.

In an interview with Yediot Acharonot, Dikla Hasdai, wife of the victim, told of how her husband had dedicated himself to caring for her and their children, two of whom have serious physical disabilities; she herself is partially paralyzed. “I have no idea how we will get along without him,” she said. “He did everything, whether it was to go to government offices…. I cannot get around, I can barely stand up.” The Ramle municipality said that it would provide any assistance possible to the family.

In a statement, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that the murder was “shocking and terrible. Minister Chaim Katz has informed me that the Welfare Ministry is providing assistance to Ofir’s widow and his children. I have heard that many Israelis have gotten together to provide help. We cannot accept shocking incidents like this. There is no room for violence here, and we will not tolerate it.”