Photo Credit: Courtesy Regional Council Samaria
R-L: Hananel Dorani, Yossi Dagan, Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, a parent, and Avitzur, the Bar Mitzvah boy, inside the cave the children hid from an Arab Lynch mob.

Exactly one week after his Bar Mitzvah trip was brutally interrupted by a lynch mob (See: Arab Shot Dead as Mob Tries to Lynch Jewish Children Hiking in Samaria), Avitzur, 13, and his friends from all the Samaria settlements on Friday returned to the cave where they were attacked and held by dozens of Arabs from the village of Qusra.

Joining them at the celebration/reenactment were the head of the Samaria Regional Council Yossi Dagan, who initiated the event together with the chairman of the Committee of Samaria Settlers Tzachi Dickstein, Chief Rabbi of Samaria Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel (Habayit Hayehudi) and Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), together with hundreds of people from all over the country who came to express their support for the right of Jews to travel anywhere in their country.

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Yossi Dagan gave the Bar Mitzvah boy Avitzur a gift from the residents of Samaria and said: “We came here today to strengthen Avitzur and his friends. […] Avitzur and his friends just wanted to go on a hike and [the local Arabs] wouldn’t let them. We want to correct their experience and also correct the experience of the people of Israel.”

Tzachi Dickstein said: “The residents of Samaria will travel everywhere without fear, and we have nothing to apologize for. Those who attacked [the children] need to apologize, not their victims. We congratulate Avitzur on the day of his celebration and wish him a safe, secure and upright life everywhere in our country.”

Avitzur, the Bar Mitzvah boy, said: “I don’t enjoy being here. But it also gives me strength. To raise my head. My bar mitzvah party was not a simple experience. I’m glad so many people came to strengthen us and allow me to celebrate again. I want to say to all the people of Israel, thank you for the great and warm embrace we have been receiving since this thing happened. We’ll come out of here stronger.”

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David writes news at JewishPress.com.