David Friedman makes rare visit by US ambassador to terror victim’s home in West Bank

JTA
Published July 30, 2018

U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman speaks at the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, May 14, 2018. (Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images)

JERUSALEM (JTA) — David Friedman made a rare visit by a U.S. ambassador to Israel to the family of a terror victim in the West Bank.

Friedman made the condolence call Monday during the weeklong shiva grieving period to Yotam Ovadia’s widow and two children, ages 2 years and 7 months, in the Adam settlement.

Ovadia was stabbed to death Thursday night outside of his home in the settlement of 5,000 north of Jerusalem. His assailant was a Palestinian teen who had climbed over the security fence surrounding the community. Two others were wounded in the attack. The teen was shot and killed by one of his victims.

“My heart was broken upon seeing the tragic consequence of the killing of Yotam Ovadia,” Friedman said upon leaving the family’s home. “A young mother left alone to care for two toddlers, parents mourning their only son. There are no words that can describe the evil and barbarity of this act of terror.”

Friedman had already condemned the attack Friday in a tweet.

“Shocked to hear of the brutal terror attack in Adam that left 31 year-old Yotam Ovadia dead and two others injured. My heartfelt prayers for all the families. All life is sacred, but premeditated murder cries out for condemnation. Not hearing it from Palestinian leadership,” he tweeted.

It was not Friedman’s first official visit to a Jewish settlement. In January, he visited Otniel to pay a condolence visit to Likud lawmaker Yehudah Glick following the death of his wife.

Friedman’s predecessor, Daniel Shapiro, also made condolence calls to lawmakers living in the West Bank.

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