My son Moshe was born in the month of Sivan. A line in a poem by Dudu Barak says, "The children of Sivan were born when the sun was shining; the world in white, laughed in joy and delight," and this is exactly how I felt when he was born, my third child.
Moshe enlisted in the army's combat Engineering Corps, serving the state of Israel dutifully while risking his life to clear land mines. But the sun set on us and our world was destroyed in August 1984, when Moshe was late coming home on leave one weekend. Happiness and pleasure vanished from our hearts and minds when we were given the worst news -- Moshe was abducted and murdered by vile terrorists, Arabs with Israeli citizenship from Baqa al-Gharbiyye. He was just 19 years old.
On one summer's day our lives changed and a black cloud has followed over us ever since. This was the day they told me I no longer have a son! My handsome, smiling boy, a fighter in the Engineering Corps, who survived the Lebanon War, was kidnapped and murdered on his way home. While he was waiting for a bus at Beit Lid junction, in the heart of Israel, he was taken by murderous terrorists, residents of Israel, who took him with the intention of transferring him to Syria. When their plan failed, they shot him at point blank range and dumped his body in an olive orchard outside the village of Mevo Dotan in Judea and Samria. From the moment I heard of the plan to release Moshe's killers I haven't found a moment's peace.
What message are our leaders sending to us bereaved families? That the blood of our sons is forfeit? What message is being sent to Israeli soldiers and their families? Do we not have the right to know that our children's murderers will never again see the light of day? Why is no one in this country, and justifiably so, suggesting to release the murderer of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin? Because in the Jewish state, Jewish blood is not forfeit! All murderers must be made to know that their future consists only of rotting in prison for the rest of days.
We cannot allow their release, which will only encourage more terrorism. Just like my son's life was taken from him, so will the freedom of his killers be taken from them! Who can guarantee that even if they are released, they will not kill any more Jews-
Galia Tamam is the mother of Moshe Tamam, who was murdered by terrorists in 1984.
טעינו? נתקן! אם מצאתם טעות בכתבה, נשמח שתשתפו אותנו