Jerusalem – Israeli authorities say five American students escaped serious harm after their car was firebombed in the volatile West Bank city of Hebron.
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Officials said the ultra-Orthodox seminary students were on their way to pray at the Mearat Hamachpela when they took a wrong turn and entered a Palestinian neighborhood. The students entered accidentally after having been misdirected there by the navigational system Waze, one of the boys said.
The car was pelted with stones and a firebomb and went up in flames.
Police said the students got out of the vehicle and were rescued by a Palestinian resident who alerted Israeli authorities to evacuate them. Two students, residence of Brooklyn, NY were lightly wounded and were evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment.
Hebron is home to several hundred Jewish settlers living in fortified enclaves amid more than 150,000 Palestinians. The city is a frequent flashpoint of violence.
A Photos of the scene showed a pair of tefillin lying on the ground, apparently belonging to one of the boys who escaped as their Vehicle was firebombed.
Just days before, the IDF has turned over control of its outpost at the entrance of the Hebron neighborhood to Palestinian security forces.
“The fact that these Jews were miraculously saved proves once again that the transfer of territory to terrorists is a recipe for disaster,” members of the Hebron Jewish community said.
“We demand the return of the IDF outpost and the removal of the terrorists and their accomplices from these properties in Hebron. Only then can peace return to the city, for the sake of the peace-loving residents of all faiths.”
A large IDF contingent is searching the area where the attack occurred and the investigation is ongoing.
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Don’t hold your great waiting for Obama to condemn this attack on Americans; after all, they’re JEWISH Americans. Same for the UN.
Anyone who has driven to Meaart Hamachpelah knows that there are signs every 100 meters as to the only secure highway….you don’t “accidently” drive into the Hebron. Kol hakovod to the Palestinian family who offered sheltered these yungerleit until they were rescued by the security forces. This could have ended badly.
Chayis!! Should round up these mamzerem and firebomb them!!
The best arab is a Toite arab..
DO you see the Tefiilin on the floor? The boys are liucky to get out alive!!
interesting all peace accord lands “given back” to Arabs not under “occupation” attack Jews and liberals want to “give back” the entire Yehudiya and Shomron. By the way Hebron was “given back” by the so called right winger Bibi.
The rescue was probably done by “Chardakim” . Many of them and Hesder boys serve in the region.
Why isn’t anyone commenting on the parents of these boys. The parents should have told them don’t go anywhere near the West Bank. You can daven in yeshiva or at the kosel!
relying on a gps system in the west bank is sakonos nefashos mamesh!!!
too many stories like this.
What a difference there is between israel and the land of the palestinians .Nobody wearing muslim style clothing would be attacked in israel,but a jew in their territories is subject to being attacked.B.D.S. is another attack on jews. nobody complains when thousands of muslims are beaten,robbed, killed every day in their countries.
It should be noted that even in the US, WAZE does not take into account “bad or dangerous” neighborhoods. If it takes you off the highway because of traffic or an accident, it will take you the shortest route, and that might actually be very dangerous. It is recommended that if you don’t know for sure that the road you will travel on is safe, stay on the highway. Your life is not worth risking.
I still say that a new walking down the street in hebron is safer than a IDF soldier walking through mea shearim or a woman walking on the right side of the street in new square.
Rental cars are not covered for fire, theft, or accidents. In areas of the west bank beyond the green line.
It’s written in the contract in plain black and white. If these boys in fact rented a car they had no right to drive it to Hebron, for the very simple reason, that they are now responsible to pay for the car which they totalled, let alone put their lives on the line. There will be a lot it tears and soul searching, coming out of this one through Yom Kippur, and a lot of gomel bentching! These boys families, especially their parents, must have great zechusim, and the boys themselves, must have the same, in order to be saved miraculously through the hands of a Palestinian family, which obviously was the hand of God, sending another message to our people, and each one of us has to internalize this message accordingly, especially during Elul, preceding the Yom Hadin when each of us will be on the pedestal for judgement by the Almighty one Himself, and let’s hope to merit the zechusim these boys so openly and miraculously had! Let’s hope and pray for a year of shalom and health for all.
If you are visiting, use Waze. There is an option here to only go to areas under Israeli control. I drive to Chevron with Waze all the time, never had an issue.
Hopefully this will be a wake up call to yeshiva guys to stay safe. Our shabbos guests have crazy stories of visiting kever yosef at night without an escort, taking shortcuts through Arab villages and more.