Some 3,000 people gathered in Afula, in northern Israel, on Saturday for a march honoring Shelly Dadon, a 20-year-old Israeli woman who was murdered on May 1 on her way to a job interview. The march was called, "Shelly's blood is my blood." Those who participated in the rally painted their hands red, lit candles, carried flags and held signs that read, "My daughter is gone -- let's save yours," and "Don't release murderers." Dadon's parents, Yaakov and Ilana, and her brothers, Shlomi, Omri and Daniel, did not participate in the march. On Sunday, the family ended the traditional seven-day mourning period, and went to the cemetery to visit the grave. Dadon's boyfriend of the last six months, Matan Maimon, attended the rally. "The rally was organized with the support of the Dadon family," said organizer Or Daniel. "We explained that this would be a rally in Shelly's memory, during which we would pass on a strong message to the government on two issues. The first -- to increase the punishment for murderers, and second -- to increase security for residents of Afula and the [Jezreel] Valley." The Dadon family wrote on the Facebook page created for the rally, thanking participants for cherishing their daughter's memory. "We passed on a message of peace, without violence, without racism and without militancy," Dadon's father told Israel Hayom. "We asked that people who would not be able to control their emotions not come." The rally's participants marched from the Yad Labanim compound in the city to the central Independence Square. There, several speeches were heard, and those present expressed disapproval of Afula Mayor Yitzhak Meron's absence from the rally. A municipality representative was heckled and booed when he spoke. Meron was unavailable for comment by press time. On Saturday evening, some 50 right-wing extremists led by activist Baruch Marzel caused disturbances in Afula, with 10 of them being arrested after trying to damage the car of an Arab citizen and clashing with others present at the rally. Meanwhile, the investigation into Dadon's murder is ongoing, but the Israel Police and Shin Bet security agency have yet to say if the murder was nationalistically or criminally motivated. There is a court-imposed publication ban on the details of the investigation that will be lifted at the end of the month.
