Settlers slam government over shooting attack

[IndianaGreen]

Settlers slam government over shooting attack

Yesha Council heads, MKs say terror attack result of roadblocks' removal, construction freeze. 'The Arabs are interpreting government's decision as green light to harm settlers,' says MK Arieli

Efrat Weiss Published: 12.24.09, 22:00 / Israel News

The shooting attack Thursday in which Meir Avshalom Hai, a 45-year-old resident of West Bank settlement of Shavei Shomron, was killed, enraged many settlers and right-wing activists, who blamed the government for the tragic event.

"Every time we try to appease the Palestinians, whether with removing roadblocks or with freezing the construction in the settlements, they interpret it as a weakness on Israel's part , and only increase terrorist activities," said MK Nissim Zeev (Shas) while visiting the scene of the shooting.

MK Zeev noted that there used to be two roadblocks on the road where the shooting took place, and claimed that if the roadblocks had not been removed, the attack could have been prevented.

"Even if a terrorist gets through, it would have been hard for him to escape due to the roadblocks," he said.

MK Uri Arieli (National Union) seconded MK Zeevi, and urged the prime minister to cancel the construction freeze: "The Arabs are interpreting the government's decision as a green light to harm settlers."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3824970,00.html

Here is the news report about the assassination of Meir Hai:

Last update - 02:21 25/12/2009

West Bank settler, father of 7, killed in shooting attack

By Chaim Levinson, Avi Issacharoff and Anshel Pfeffer

A settler from the West Bank settlement Shavei Shomron was killed yesterday in a shooting attack near his home.

Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades have claimed responsibility for the attack, the Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported.

Meir Hai, a 40-year-old teacher and father of seven, was killed when militants opened fire at his car on the road between Shavei Shomron and the nearby settlement Einav in the West Bank. He was alone in his car.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1137631.html