It was a bloody week for Jews living in the biblical heartland.
Esther Horegen, mother of six, went for a jog in the forest near her home, Tal Menashe in Samaria.
She never returned. Her body was found, hardly recognizable. An Arab from a neighboring village was apprehended. Residents of that village enjoy the same forest with never a fear of their Jewish neighbors. The killer will now become a local legend and hero as he and his family are lavished with funds that Israel transfers to the Palestinian Authority which pays Arabs to slay Jews. .
I know, it is hard to get one's head around this reality. Thousands of families living in Judea and Samaria bear similar scars yet they do not do what their tormentors hope for - they do not flee the area and the danger. On the contrary, their numbers are spiraling despite all.
Ahuvia Sondok, 16, lived in Bat Ayin, a village in Judea.
He was born in Gush Katif and left in his mother's arms when she and family were expelled from their home by Israeli forces. His home was given to Hamas - for "peace and security" we were assured.
Ahuvia was killed in a car he was riding in with friends. His car was rammed from behind by an unmarked police vehicle.
The police were in hot pursuit of alleged Jewish stone throwers at Arabs.
Arab stone throwing at Jews is a round the clock phenomenon.
The media, politicians and security people treat it simply like bad weather.
The police and secret service lie in wait for a Jew to dare to throw a stone at an Arab. That would certainly cause the Arabs to be angry and they might react in a way that could destabilize the entire country and perhaps the entire Middle East. That threat must be prevented at all costs! Public enemy number one!!
An entire section of the secret service (The "Jewish section") devotes huge resources to get their hands on one of those illusive public enemies.
No one was allowed at the scene of Ahuvia's death; not journalists and not members of Knesset (Smotrich). What were the police hiding?
There is a demand by his family and friends that the police officers involved be seriously questioned.
"Honenu " lawyers are on the job. We have been here before. Yet another white wash is feared with the full cooperation of the media. There is little hope for transparency and justice.
Youths who look like Ahuvia are in the cross hairs of Israel's secret service and police. He is young, he lives in the "territories", has flowing side licks and wears a big Kippa.
; that threatening look. That profile is enough for constant harassment and worse.
Public enemy number one, did we say?
Many stones have killed many Jews. That isn't news, that's life in the "territories" isn't it?
Left wing politicians, academia and journalists tirelessly point out that the "settlers" chose a risk and should be aware of the dangers of living in "illegally occupied territories"
The half million Jews there don't expect preferred treatment. They don't expect applause for living on the Israeli frontier protecting the rest of Israel with their bodies.
They would be satisfied if the many Jewish victims of Arab attacks engendered the same police concern as when an Arab is victim to the extremely rare Jewish stone.
They would be happy if the police did not stage situations using "agent provocateurs" and disguised police to entrap Jews and arrest them.
They would be happy to be treated like the Arabs.
When did this craziness begin?
When we began losing our identity.
When you stand for nothing, everything is possible.
Shalom Pollack is a filmmaker, tour guide and writer in Jerusalem
He is writing a book, "Despite ourselves, I was there"
shalompollack613@gmail.com
