Texas, Jerusalem and innocents

Image Sources: Getty (Brandon Ball) - Uvalde and Getty (Staff) - Jerusalem

It has been difficult and painful to watch coverage of the Uvalde tragedy. Most trying has been listening to accounts of victims and their families.

Additionally upsetting for my husband and me has been the outrage expressed by some politicians. Their resolute vows to act to prevent further such horrific deaths are difficult for us to hear. That's because some of those very same people have ignored and rebuffed our pleas for action from them.

Our child was murdered too. But the perpetrator is alive, well and free! 

Furthermore everything is in place for her to be tried and convicted in a US court and imprisoned for life in a US jail. While Malki resided in Israel and was an Israeli citizen, she also had American citizenship just as I do. I was born and raised in Queens, NY.  The law under which Tamimi has been indicted applies in this case because Malki was an American.

What is lacking is the will to make that happen. The will to force the intransigent king of Jordan to extradite that mass murderer in accordance with the valid treaty his father's government signed and ratified in 1995.

Ahlam Tamimi, my child's murderer, who also killed fourteen others including 7 children, is one of the most wanted terrorists in the world.

Malki

Not one of those congressmen who are, justifiably, incensed by the Uvalde massacre, seems interested in ruffling the feathers of Jordan's dictator. As the darling of US politicians on both sides of the aisle, he has managed to evade the effect of the indictment filed by the US Department of Justice for more than five years. And with it, the extradition request under the treaty.

And he has accomplished that with no consequences, no sanctions and no reduction in his annual multi-billion dollar gift from US taxpayers' pockets. 

I implore anyone who values justice to join our fight. 

Please circulate this post and the accompanying tweets far and wide. And, if you are acquainted with any politicians, please urge them to ask the government of the US to pressure Jordan to comply with the US demand for extradition. We have a petition for that here.

He may be glib, speak an impeccable English with an impressive British accent, have a beautiful wife and be extremely wealthy ["While foreign aid poured in, Jordan’s King Abdullah funnelled $100m through secret companies to buy luxury homes"]. 

But none of those attributes should entitle Jordan's King Abdullah II to ignore his chief benefactor, the United States. 

Again: An institution, a scandal, a petition

Entrance to the Bnai Zion institution [Image Source] 

The cases of abuse in institutions for people with disabilities have been piling up in recent days. Yet another petition has been drafted (in Hebrew - it addresses the Government of Israel) and all are invited to sign on here: חתימה על מכתב לרה"מ להקמת ועדת חקירה ממלכתית על המצב במוסדות

Incredibly none of these shocking revelations has moved our government. It is hell-bent on pursuing the path of institutionalization as its first choice of care for its population with disabilities. This was evident in its recent closed-door cabinet session which resulted in yet another extravagant cash gift  [Actually, zero steps forward, January 3, 2022] to the ADI Negev institution. 

The latest abuse scandal took place in the Rosh Ha'ayin institution, B'nei Zion. The police request  to extend the remand of its suspected perpetrators claimed that the latter "physically attacked and abused the wards with disabilities together and separately and even caused injuries." 

The following was the reaction of the police representative regarding the actions of the primary suspect: 

"He allegedly committed shocking acts against the helpless. They were sexual acts, bringing lighters up close to the charges and lighting them, urinating on the charges' beds and strangulation. I have been a policeman for many years and have never before seen such acts. We watched videos and were shocked."

The administration of the institution is also under investigation since it claims to have been unaware of the hundreds of incidents of violence towards the charges although they were recorded by security cameras.

One of the many parents who visited their children after the report said: 

"This is a black day for us. My son is non-verbal and I am unable to ask him if he was beaten."

Gila Bar, whose daughter lives in B'nei Zion, added:

"Everything must be replaced here other than the social workers. Everyone else must go."

Even if you're as pessimistic as I am (and make that very), please do as I did and sign the petition linked above. It certainly can't hurt.

Terrorism through the years

Image Source: Times of Israel

Today the Jewish nation mourns the passing of Yehuda Wachsman, father of Nachshon Wachsman, the soldier who was kidnapped and murdered by Palestinian terrorists in 1994. We were present at the young soldier's funeral.

Much as all Americans alive in 1963 vividly remember where they were when they learned of JFK's assissination, so too do all Israelis remember where they were when they learned of the tragic fate of both Nachshon and Nir Poraz, the soldier killed in the rescue attempt. 

The Wachsmans lost one son to terrorism and also grappled with raising another child, Rephael, who has Downs Syndrome. Arnold and I always felt a kinship with them because of the two burdens we share.

In his last interviews, Yehuda Wachsman's compassion, insight and virtuous character are evident.
יהי זכרו ברוך

On this day, it is appropriate to note the headlines circulating about an imminent prisoner release which this government seems hell-bent on carrying out. The payment it demands - information regarding the fate of the three Israeli citizens who crossed the Gazan border and the return of the bodies of three Israeli soldiers - is reminiscent of the one that propelled Netanyahu toward the 2011 Shalit Deal. That resulted in the deaths of numerous Jews at the hands of releasees who soon resumed their bloody "careers": "ישראל מוכנה לנקוט צעדים חיוביים בעניין עסקה" via Israel Hayom (in Hebrew).

Ahlam Tamimi, the confessed and proud mastermind of the Sbarro bombing of 2001, was among the 1,027 terrorists freed then. One of her sixteen victims was our child, Malki.

Since being freed,and "exiled" (Netanyahu's phraseology) to her homeland, Jordan, she has tirelessly utilized social media and TV platforms to incite her adoring viewers to follow her lead.

Let's remember how effective the court's sentence of 16 consecutive life terms was in her case. It included the judges' warning to future governments never to release Tamimi in the context of future "deals".

I fear yesterday's military court's decision will prove equally irrelevant. It sentenced a Palestinian man to four life terms over a pair of December 2018 terror attacks in which two soldiers and an unborn baby were killed. 

Tamimi's freedom and the protection she enjoys from Jordan's king highlight the impotence of such ruliings in the face of government goals that trivialize our judiciary.

Today, it is left to the US to seek justice and silence this dangerous terrorist, Tamimi. Since three of the Sbarro victims - including our Malki - were US citizens, it has demanded that Jordan abide by the 1995 Extradition Treaty between the two countries so that Tamimi can be tried in a US court. 

Faced with Jordan's long-standing refusal (since 2017) to comply, the US is now threatening to impose sanctions that will withold millions of dollars in annual aid that Jordan stands to enjoy.

We created a petition a week ago ["Demand that Jordan Extradite Celebrity Terrorist of Sbarro Massacre NOW"]. We hope it gets wide support and your help.