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Arab Terrorist Attacks Jerusalem’s Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva: 8 Dead

An injured student is helped by fellow students at the scene of a shooting attack in Jerusalem March 6, 2008.
Photos by: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

(IsraelNN.com) An Arab terrorist infiltrated Jerusalem’s Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva at around 8:30 Thursday night and murdered eight Jews. At least 10 people were wounded; five are in serious to critical condition, a sixth victim was wounded moderately and four others, lightly.

The attacker entered the yeshiva and opened fire on students before he was gunned down himself by an armed civilian. Witnesses say that the attack began in the seminary’s library with the terrorist spraying bullets in every direction before anyone could react.

The part-time yeshiva student who killed the terrorist, 40-year-old Yitzchak Dadon, said that he shot the attacker in the head with his personal weapon. David Shapira, a yeshiva graduate and officer in the paratroopers, heard the shots from his nearby home, ran to the yeshiva and “finished [the terrorist] off.”

Asked by a Channel 2 TV reporter what weapon the Palestinian Authority terrorist had, Dadon said, “A Kalachnikov,” and turning to the camera, he angrily added, “The Kalachnikov that you gave him, President Peres…”

Initial reports indicated that a second terrorist was hiding in the yeshiva building, responding security forces determined that the reports were false. Police deployed in the surrounding neighborhood, and scoured the yeshiva and connected buildings. Most students in the building were evacuated after taking cover in the yeshiva’s bomb shelter, according to police spokesmen.

Fifty ambulances responded to the scene, which emergency responders called “a major incident.” The wounded were evacuated to Hadassah Ein Karem and Shaarei Tzedek Hospitals.

In Gaza City, Arab residents went out into the streets and fired rifles in the air in celebration of the attack against the Jews of Jerusalem.

Police forces have been increased throughout the capital and placed on heightened alert around the country.

The Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva is located near the entrance to Jerusalem, in the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood. The yeshiva, founded by Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, is at the heart of the national-religious movement in Israel.

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35 Comments

  • what is the world coming to???

    oh my..that is do horrible.baruch dayan haemes.now im scared to go to israel next year for seminary.we need moshiach now

  • Israeli Sodlier (Chabadnik)

    Thank you to all the soldiers and police who responded to the scene. may hashem watch over them and protect them from evil…

  • Anash Mom

    Do NOT even consider NOT going to seminary or Yeshiva in EY.

    Our Rebbe took it on himself to look after all of his students in his moisdos.

    The murdering terrorists want yidden to feel uncomfortable in our own country.

    I am a mother who so far has had three of her sons learning in EY collectively for eight years. One year all 3 were in different yeshivas there!!

    We are iy’h all travelling to EY very soon for our oldest son’s chassana…..PLEASE DO NOT ENTERTAIN ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT STAYING AWAY FROM ERETZ YISROEL.

  • Dadon

    this translates into another plead from the Israelis, for further disengagements.

    kol hakavod Mr. Dadon!

  • Geulah B-Rachamim

    Daven for the politicians to wake up – it is a double adar we can do it – break the heavens open to shake them up from their stupouress sleep. the pain we yidden have been through…it was over the top long long ago. what now? “acts of goodness and kindness” – reach a little higher in our avodas Hashem. it doesnt cost anything to be nicer to our spouses, children, neighbors, community members, and showing choved to our wonderful Rabbonim. It is our job to be a mentsch, Hashem will take care of the rest.

  • levi

    no one must be scared of israel in matter of fact if people really want to do something for israel rais money and go to israel and create a counter terreist organization the basis of the organization will be some meir kahanes viws and basicly if a chamas cotrolled village will get the avenges of any spilt jewish blood manly women men and children of palestian stock will die for the spilt blood of the members of israel

  • out-of-towner

    bochurim killed while learning torah?
    Hashem, have mercy on us!
    ad mosai!

  • say tehillim

    extra tehillim is important at this time for all the Jews living in Israel.

  • bies rivkah student

    this is indeed very tragic howq much longer do we have to suffer?
    we should all ask for moshiach and he should come quickly and we wont have any more of this!!!!

  • Ad Mosai!?!?!??!

    HASHEM YERACHEM!!! Baruch Dayen Emes. AD MOSAI!!!!?!??!?!?!?!? We need Moshiach NOW!!!! Such inisent bachurim learning Torah!!!!! Moshiach Now!!!!

  • yossi bussy

    i am very sad. let us all daven and say tehilim and Hashem should erase all pain forever………..and death. enough already………

  • Zalman Wasserman

    Kahanna Tzaddack!! The only effective defense is offense when it comes to dealing with the scum of the earth!!

  • Stam a Yid

    There is no way we can just go on with are lives as if nothing at all happened, and just scroll down to the next story.

    Every one of us must stop for a moment and think about our brothers who lost died al kidush Hashem, mourn with there families and say a prayer for the wounded.

    WE ARE ALL ONE FAMILY

  • Mrs. L

    Olam Hasheker! I am truly pained by thr news. We need moshaiach Now.we must increase in more Toarah , mitzvos and hachlatos to hasten the arrival of Moshaiach!

    Hashem Yerachem

  • please daven

    Please pray for the injured children:
    Naftali ben Gila
    Yonatan ben Avital
    Shimon ben Tirza
    Nadav ben Hadas
    Reuven ben Naomi
    Elchanan by Zehava

    Editors note: please type all comments in english the system does not support Hebrew.

  • Hashem Yinkom Domom

    It’s more than mere coincidence that 14 years ago on March 6, 1994, Ari Halberstam HY”D, a yeshiva student, was niftar from the wounds he sustained when he was shot by an arab terrorist.

  • Zelig

    I am sitting on the Internet this morning watching the video of the funeral on israelnationalnews.com and you hear people, mostly bocherim, wailing, screaming, crying as the bodies arrive one by one..

    As I sit here in my NYC apartment crying uncontrollably I want to be there, among the mourners of Merkaz Harav, holding onto someone and crying with them together

  • LAKEWOODGUY

    WE NEED MOSHIACH NOW HOW MUCH LONGER WILL WE SUFFER LETS GO THE REBBA SAID THAT WE ARE READY FOR MOSHIACH ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS POLISH THE BUTTONS SO LETS GO

  • news bad

    Its really bad news why why why does it happen the sem of the palce should akme gats

  • a bais rivka seventh grader

    oy vey!! when will all of this stop!! i dont care about all of the fighting, i want to go cry by the western wall, hashem answers the prayers of children, and i am just a child, maybe with the help of all children taking on mitzvos, we can bring moshiach. i am in seventh grade in bais rivka, and our pirncipal started something, we should all try to take on a nother mitzva, if its getting dreesed nicely to even light shabbos candles, jsut one small mitzvah, but even that times so many little children who are doing it can bring moshiach, and remember, you are created bitzelem elokim, in the image of g-d. everyone in this world is just here for you, so its up to you to take on a mitzva, dont just say, oh someone else will do it, there are so many people out there, but you can always add, there may be ten people doing this mitzvah, and then you come, which will make it one step closer to moshiach, one more life to save, just one more mitzva to take on……………………. we want ne’Now!!

  • !!!REALLYBAD NEWSAND MOSHIACH IS HEAR!!!

    Moshaich Now this is getting to bad i think all the palces shuold get lakes its oh ready three berglers in a defreint one palce and its really bad news you no
    we got to stop them and kill them soon

    And give tzdaka everysingle day and time
    Thank You
    Harbiell News To Hear HASHAM HELP
    !!!MOSHIACH NOW MOSHIACH NOW!!!